A Glint of White
by glitteratii
Summary: Allen Walker has managed to avoid the wizarding world for the past fifteen years, but when an old friend asks for help who is she to refuse? Book 1 of the Monochrome Series. WARNING: Fem!Allen, Noah!Allen, PokerPair, OOC and blatant disregard for canon. Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

Dark nails tapped rhythmically against the bar countertop. The girl let out a deep sigh, scanning the room once more. "Honestly," she muttered to herself, "you'd think he'd have the bloody courtesy to show up on time."

"I think you will find that I am perfectly on time, dear Ellen."

She turned around quickly, smiling widely at the sight of the old man. Jumping up, she wrapped him in a tight hug like she was greeting an old friend. "You've gotten old, Albus." Ellen grinned as he settled down next to her.

He laughed deeply, his old face appearing years younger for just a moment. "I have lived a very long life. Unlike yourself, I catch myself growing older with each year."

Ellen beamed and signaled the bartender. "Two butterbeers Tom!" Turning back to Albus, she let a more serious expression fall across her face. "Now tell me, why did you call me here? You know that I hate being around so many people. It just isn't safe."

Albus let out a deep sigh. "Voldemort has returned."

She went stiff. "I thought he was dead."

"Yes, that is what people believe." He took a deep sip of his drink. "But he has returned. Last summer he lured young Harry Potter to a graveyard and performed a ritual in order to acquire a new body."

"So why am I here? Shouldn't the Ministry be handling this?"

"Cornelius refuses to believe that he is back and has taken to slandering myself and Mr. Potter at every opportunity. You'll find no help from the Ministry at this time."

Ellen sighed deeply. "Well, shit. That's why I'm here, isn't it? You're assembling the Order again?"

"What is left of it." He confirmed. The two sat in silence for several minutes, dwelling over the state of their world.

"I don't really have much of a choice, now do I?" Ellen smiled tightly. "Every time I think I'm finally out of the fire, something just has to pull me right back in."

"I won't force you to help us, but we need someone like you in the dark times that are to come."

"Ha!" she barked out, "Albus, it's dangerous for me to be around people, you know that. Is it really worth the risk to you? If _they_ find out where I am, they'll kill everyone they have to to get to me. I don't want that kind of weight on my shoulders again."

"You know that the others are still out there no matter where you go." Albus spoke softly. "You can choose to do what is right instead of what is easy."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" At his bright stare she rolled her eyes. "Okay then Albus, I'll help the Order again. But this is the last time."

"Of course it is, dear Ellen. Now, take my arm." She rolled her eyes once more but firmly gripped onto his forearm with one hand and held her bag tightly in the other. "You remember how apparition works?"

"Yes, I do. Let's go before I change my mind." Ellen snapped. The old man twinkled at her once more before they disappeared with a loud crack.

* * *

The pair landed in front of a series of townhouses. The girl raised her eyebrow at the sight. "I think you will find this clears a few things up." Albus said lightly, handing her a worn piece of paper.

 _The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

When she looked back up, Ellen watched as another home appeared between numbers 11 and 13. "The Fidelius charm, really?"

"It is the only sure way to insure that we go undetected." Albus answered firmly, leading the way into the home. She followed him into the building, taking in the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet of the main floor.

"This place is horrendous." She muttered. Her companion simply ignored her and kept walking deeper into the house. As they got continued on, she could hear the faint noise of people talking. Albus led her into what appeared to be the kitchen. Standing by the stove was an older woman with bright red hair. Her face was round and kind, but most of all, it was familiar.

Ellen dropped her bag in shock. "Molly?" she forced out.

Molly turned around and immediately dropped the spoon she had been stirring with. "Ellen?" she whispered, "But...how?"

Ellen smiled tightly, resisting the urge to step away when the older woman approached her.

"You haven't aged a day." Molly whispered in disbelief, cradling Ellen's face in her hands as if she didn't believe that the girl was real.

"I told you that the Noah don't age. You didn't believe me, did you?"

"It seemed so impossible." the woman said, "And when you disappeared we all thought you had died. Ellen, where have you been?"

"America, mostly. Turns out that the yanks aren't such terrible gits once you get to know them."

Molly squeezed her shoulders tightly in a semblance of an embrace before pulling away. "Everyone will be so happy to see you, dear."

"Who all is left?"

"We didn't lose many after what happened with James and Lily. The war was over."

Ellen sat down at the table, propping her booted feet up despite Molly's protests. "Albie, when are we having the next meeting? I would rather not have to explain my existence to everyone individually."

"I believe that we will be gathering later tonight once dinner has ended. Sadly, I cannot be there, there are things at Hogwarts that require my immediate attention." With that, he began to walk out of the kitchen. At the last moment he turned back to Ellen. "You must remember that the game is much different now. You will have to adapt."

Ellen waved her hand at him and he left at the obvious dismissal. She and Molly continued to chat amiably for the next half hour, filling each other in on what had happened since they had last seen each other. Ellen wove tales of her adventures in America, the people she had met and the different types of magic that she had seen.

As they were talking, Sirius slinked into the room. Ellen immediately stopped what she was saying to run to him and wrap him in a tight hug. Her eyes ran over every feature of his like she could burn it into her mind. Her friend looked so much older, but so much was still the same. He still had the long, black hair she had loved playing with so much and his eyes still held a mischievous glimmer at the edges.

"Paddy," she murmured against his neck. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there. I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

The man simply gripped her tighter, trying to convey the emotions he couldn't bring himself to speak aloud just yet. After a few more minutes the two untangled themselves and seated themselves at the very end of the large kitchen table, grasping their hands tightly across the surface. She and Sirius soon feel into the same type of teasing conversation that they had had fifteen years earlier, leaving Molly alone to finish cooking in peace. Ellen teased him for still having the long, shaggy hairstyle of his youth and he tugged on her short reddish-brown hair in response, poking fun at her dark nails and clothing.

As time passed, the smell of stew filled the air, attracting an assortment of teenagers into the room. They drifted in and out, looking curiously at the pair immersed in conversation. Molly would shoo them almost immediately with orders to go clean something or to work on their summer homework.

Eventually the set of ginger twins that seemed to adore apparating in and out of every single room were sent to alert the others once the food was finally ready. They and three other children settled down at the table with Sirius and Ellen, only one of them without the bright red hair of a Weasley.

They stared at Ellen and Sirius in silence while she ignored them for a good five minutes. Finally she turned to them with a frown. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Who _are_ you?" The non-ginger one blurted out, her bushy hair shaking with her words.

"Ellen Walker," she said casually, "I'm with the Order."

One of the twins gaped at her. "But you look like you're our age! Mum doesn't let us in with the Order, what makes you special?"

"Oh, I was a member back when the Order first formed." she inspected her nails as she spoke. The polish was starting to chip on her right hand, she needed to fix that soon. "Albus recruited me back this afternoon."

"But that was back in the First Wizarding War." the bushy haired witch exclaimed. "It isn't possible that you were even old enough to fight back then."

Ellen signed impatiently. "I'm not a human, I'm a Noah. And trust me, I'm _much_ older than you are."

She turned back to Sirius who looked somewhat aggravated. She opened her mouth to speak to him again when the girl interrupted her. "But I read that Noahs are XXXX-Class Creatures!"

"And?" Ellen raised a brow at the girl. "I'm obviously not a rabid Beast. It would do you well to remember that."

The girl looked vaguely offended but didn't say anything else on the matter. They all sat in awkward silence until a few more people began to apparate in. Ellen grinned widely when Arthur Weasley arrived, shaking his hand firmly.

Conversation flowed somewhat easily after that point, if not slightly awkward due to Ellen's presence. Before long everyone was finished with their food and Molly was shooing all of them out of the room so that she could prepare it for the Order meeting.

"You couldn't resist antagonizing them?" Molly frowned at her once the last child left. "Hermione is a very bright girl, she just wanted to know more about you."

Ellen sighed deeply. "I know, but I'm just too bloody old to be interrogated by teenagers anymore. I'm only here because Albus asked me to. I would be perfectly happy back in my apartment where I know that the others have absolutely no chance of finding me."

Sirius chuckled and pulled on her hair again. "Still don't want to see your lovely Clan?"

"They're all a bunch of murderous arseholes. Not the most thrilling group to be around."

"They could have changed!" Molly insisted, "You've said yourself that you're different, who's to say that they aren't too?"

Ellen slammed her hands on the table. "I'm not going to keep having this argument with you Molly! They're not like me, they're dangerous and I refuse to put all of you in danger because I was feeling bloody nostalgic!"

She stood up and pushed the table away roughly. "Now I'm going to find whatever dusty hole I'm going to be sleeping in and you can find me when the rest of the Order is here."

Grabbing her bag from against the door, she stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs. The third floor was just as dusty and dim as the first floor and occupied second floor had been and she found herself sneezing as she looked around trying to find a bedroom.

She couldn't understand why Molly wouldn't listen to her. It had been that way since they had first met, Molly always pushing her to fix things with the Noah and Ellen refusing to do so. Why didn't the woman realize how much danger they would be in if the others were there?

Sure, Ellen was no saintly exorcist anymore, but she had never gone around ripping people's hearts out with her bare hands!

The sound of conversation reached her ears as she continued down the hall. She frowned and made her way towards the noise. She walked up to a doorway and gently pushed the door open, the purple jewel on her left hand glowing.

"Hello?"

Ellen pushed the door completely open and all but sagged in relief. The three youngest children were sitting with cards surrounding them. "Oh, it's just you lot."

The teens frowned at her and it took everything in her not to roll her eyes. _Remember, you have to adapt_ , she reminded herself. She shook it off and offered the trio a weak smile.

"Thought you three could have been something nasty. Sirius used to tell us horror stories about this place, so you can never be too careful." Ellen casually leaned against the door. "So, any of you know where there might be an empty bedroom. I got into a bit of a row with Molly and didn't get the chance to find out where I'm going to be sleeping."

The curly haired witch shook her head. "There's not that many places to sleep, we've all been sharing rooms."

Ellen actually did roll her eyes. "Is there at least an empty room I could fix up? Haven't really conjured anything in a while but it's worth a shot."

"You fought with our mum?" The boy asked, his eyebrows raised high.

"She's always been stubborn, never backs down once she's made up her mind." Ellen waved her hand dismissively, "Now, about that room."

The curly haired one (she really should learn their names) stood up. "I think Mrs. Weasley found an empty drawing room down the hall, you'll have to clean it out. There are doxies everywhere."

Ellen giggled lightly. "Oh, I just love doxies. Nasty little buggers, but they're dead useful when their venom doesn't really hurt you. They actually listen quite well."

Curly gaped at her. "Come on now," Ellen motioned for them to leave, "Lead the way. I haven't got all day to get it all fixed up."

She followed Curly down the hallway quietly, grinning at the nearly empty, spacious room. "Thanks kid." she patted the girl firmly on the back. "Say, since you helped me find this, you want to learn something cool?"

Curly's eyes widened and she nodded quickly, looking almost afraid to speak. Ellen reached into her heavy looking boot and pulled out a rich reddish colored wand. "The incantation is _Mundomius_ and you just need to flick it like so, just a bit sharper than _Scourgify_. It's all about intent with this spell, you've got to focus on just the room or you'll end up cleaning the whole block in one go."

She grinned at the young witch's nod and flicked her wand sharply. " _Mundomius_!"

The room started to change before their very eyes. The thick layer of dust that had enveloped the room simply melted away, leaving the aged wallpaper and carpet looking much more colorful than they had before. The grime on the windows vanished and let a flood of dim light into the room. The young witch watched in amazement as every bit of dirt disappeared, leaving the whole room looking as if it had never been so neglected.

"Where did you learn that? I've never seen it in any book!" She turned towards Ellen with bright eyes.

Ellen chuckled. "You wouldn't find it in books. It's an old spell that a woman taught me over in America. She said it'd been in their family for generations. Sadly, she had no children to pass it on to and she couldn't bear the though of it dying with her."

"Wow.." Curly whispered, running her hands along the clean walls.

"That's nothing really," Ellen grinned, "There are so many spells that have been kept from the world, each one more interesting than the next."

She began to vanish and conjure different pieces of furniture while Curly stayed at the edge of the room, watching. The other two children made their way down the hall and stood next to Curly. Ellen ignored them and focused on her task at hand.

She furrowed her brow as she added the finishing touches to the room, numerous pillows on top of her bed, light curtain over the windows. A group of doxies rested on top of the large light fixture, cackling when Ellen waved to them. She turned to the previously dusty wardrobe that had been in the room and shrugged before changing the color to make the rest of her newly conjured furniture.

Sitting heavily on the edge of her bed, she looked up at the teens standing outside her room. "Are you going to come in or do you plan on standing there all night?"

"How did you _do_ that?" Curly asked, eyes bright with curiosity.

"When you've been around as long as I have then you learn a few tricks." She waved them all in. "Come on, make yourself comfortable."

She flicked her wand wordlessly and three large, squishy bags appeared. The teens looked at them oddly, hesitant to sit down. "They're bean bag chairs, quite popular with muggles your age over in America right now."

They sat down and looked alarmed at how far they sunk into the chairs. Ellen chuckled at them. "I feel like we got off on the wrong foot back there. I've had a nasty trip back to England and Albus was being as annoyingly vague as he always is."

"You know Headmaster Dumbledore?" the ginger girl blurted out. The boy was mouthing 'Albus?' to himself while Curly was staring at her like she was trying to solve something.

"Albus and I go way back. I've known him since he was barely out of Hogwarts. Couldn't even grow a beard back then, if you'd believe it." She laughed at the memory. "But I've got to ask you lot, what're your names? Molly was too busy scolding me to tell me."

Curly spoke for everyone. "I'm Hermione Granger and they're Ron and Ginny Weasley. We've been staying here with the Order for past few weeks."

"Knew you two were Molly's." She smiled at them. "Tell me, are there any more of you? I remember the older five from when they were ickle babies and her being pregnant with another boy, but never heard about any more."

"I'm the youngest." The little ginger-no, Ginny, said. "I don't think mum could handle any more of us."

"And you're not a Weasley," Ellen turned to Cur _-no,_ Hermione. "So what are you? Girlfriend, friend, distant family?"

Hermione flushed a bright red. "I'm just a friend! It's safer to be here than at home for right now, that's all."

Ellen raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. The four of them sat there for what felt like years, not saying anything. She sighed loudly. "Look, if you have any questions, just go ahead and ask them now. I'm not going to say anything more than once, so get it out of your systems now."

"How old are you?" Ron spoke loudly.

"208, but I'll be 209 by the end of December."

"How do you know so much magic?" Hermione's eyes were bright with curiosity. "Can you teach us?"

"I've had too much time on my hands." She smiled. "I can show you a few, but Molly gets cross with me when I used them and I don't want to be getting you into trouble."

"How do you know Sirius?"

"We've been good mates since the first war, lost touch afterwards obviously."

"Why does your arm look like that?" blurted out Ron. "It's all black.."

"Shite." Ellen sighed. "I'm going to go ahead and assume you've learned something about Innocence during your education?"

All three nodded. "And you know about the Black Order?" Another nod. "I was an exorcist for the Black Order when I was younger. When I was born, there was Innocence imbedded into my hand, turning my whole arm into a weapon. There's no Innocence left in it though, that was all destroyed years ago. It runs exclusively on Dark Matter now. And don't ask what that is because I have absolutely no clue how to explain it."

"Where are the other Noah? _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ says that there are half a dozen of you that are still alive. You're here, where are the others?" Hermione asked.

She ran her hands through her short reddish brown hair. "You couldn't have stuck to the easy questions? Honestly though, I don't know where most of them are. I helped Jasdevit escape to America before the last battle, but they've never stood still for long. The others, well, I've done my best to hide from them."

She laughed to herself. "Shouldn't have told Newt any of this, wouldn't have if I'd known the tosser was going to publish everything. But I've always been a sucker for curly haired men that aren't good for me."

Ginny opened her mouth to say something when a loud crack interrupted her. The twins that had been suspiciously quiet since lunch landed right on top of Ron.

"Bloody hell!" he hissed, shoving them off. "You couldn't land anywhere else?"

"You see, dearest brother o'mine-" One started

"-our lovely guest has redecorated." The other one continued "So how could we know-"

"-where to land?" The first one grinned mischievously.

Ellen rubbed the bridge of her nose, the twin-speak already annoying her. "Is there something that you two need or did you come here just to take the piss out your brother?"

"Mum told us to tell you-"

"-that the Order meeting is about to start."

She sighed in resignation and rolled off her bed. "Alright, alright. Everyone out, I'll not have you messing around in my room without any type of supervision."

The twins disappeared with another loud crack as she ushered the others out, deftly locking her door behind her. She continued on past the teens without a word and loudly made her way down the stairs.

Loud voices could be heard from the kitchen and when she finally shoved the door open and entered, she was greeted by a decent group of people. There were several faces that she recognized, even though they now showed the passage of time. Some unknown faces stared back at her though, and she grinned sheepishly. She opened her mouth to say something but quickly ducked as a bright red spell flew at her. She popped back up, glaring at the wizard at the end of the table. "Honestly Alastor, that's getting a bit old."

"You've got to remain vigilant." He replied gruffly, ignoring the way she stuck her tongue out at him.

Ellen quickly sat down next to a young witch with lilac hair. "Ellen Walker, nice to meet you."

"Nymphadora Tonks. Call me Tonks." Tonks winked at her. "I've heard a bit about you, Mad-Eye over there never shut up about how good a duelist you were when he was training us."

"I knew you cared Alastor!" she called down the table, cackling at his eye roll. "I'm guessing you're new to the Order?"

"Finished my Auror training last year and when Albus Dumbledore asked, I couldn't say no." She grinned brightly. "It's absolute rubbish what the Ministry is saying about him, he's the greatest wizard I've ever met."

Ellen smiled softly. "He's always had that kind of effect on people. Molly?" she called, "Are we waiting on anyone or can we go ahead and get started?"

"Remus should be here in just a few-" Before Molly could finish her sentence, the man in question appeared with a loud crack.

She gasped quietly as she took in the appearance of her old friend. Remus looked more tired than he had before, his clothes looking worn down. Ellen shoved herself out of her chair and embraced the man tightly.

"I've missed you Moony." she whispered against his chest. "So much."

He hugged her back firmly before gently pushing her way. "We need to start the meeting. It shouldn't be long."

Ellen settled back next to Tonks with a frown on her face. She turned towards Sirius with a questioning look on her face, but all she received was a slight head shake.

Fine. They could ignore it for now, but she would find out what had changed so much. It wasn't even like she had been gone for that long, fifteen years was practically nothing. While she was lost in thought, Kingsley had started the meeting. "..we will be retrieving Potter from his relatives tomorrow night. Tonks, have you set up the diversion?"

The witch snorted. "The muggles think that they're going to an award ceremony for the best kept lawn in England. We're in the clear."

Kingsley nodded solemnly. "I want Tonks in front of Potter, Moody we need you keeping up the rear. Lupin will fly below and the rest of us will circle back to ensure we aren't followed."

He continued on. "The Ministry has continued to slander both Potter and Dumbledore. Luckily Dumbledore able to secure a trial for Potter's underage use of magic in six days. Anything else we need to cover?"

Mundungus Fletcher spoke up, looking at Ellen cautiously. "Who's the bird?"

"I'm Ellen Walker, I fought with the Order in the first war." She said, straightening her back.

The man eyed her but stayed silent. Kingsley looked between them and shook his head. "If that's all, then I believe that we're done here. We meet here again tomorrow by at least 7 p.m. to retrieve Potter."

People nodded and quickly began to apparate out of the room. Soon, all that was left was Ellen, Molly, Sirius, and Remus. The red-haired woman looked between the three and quickly excused herself.

They sat in silence for a short while before Remus spoke softly. "Ellen-"

"Don't!" She cut him off. "You don't get to show up and treat me like a bloody stranger like that. You're my friend, Remus, and you couldn't even make eye contact with me."

"Because you left." Remus said calmly, only his clenched fist showing the anger that lay under the surface. "You let us all think that you were dead and you want to show up after fifteen years and expect to be welcomed with open arms?"

Ellen gaped for a moment before looking down in resignation. "I know. I was scared, but I shouldn't have run like that. All I can say is that I'm sorry and I hope that you can find it in yourself to forgive me."

She sat there for a moment more before standing with a bright, fake smile plastered on her face. "If that's all, I'm going to go. I've got to go unpack my bag, you see. The Lord only knows how much has accumulated in that thing over the past fifteen years."

She grabbed her bag as she rushed out the door and up the stairs, the concerned calls of her once friends echoing behind her.

* * *

Ellen simply sat there on her conjured bed, staring at the peeling gray wallpaper. Eventually, she forced herself to stand and set her bag onto her bed. She unzipped the faded duffel bag and stuck her arm in all the way to her shoulder. From the bag she pulled the giant enchanted mirror that Albus had gifted her with so many years ago. She carried it over to the corner and set it down gently, adjusting it to the right angle.

"Looks like someone needs to update her charms." The mirror called out.

Ellen whipped around and studied her appearance and groaned. There were small strands of white that were beginning to appear in her hair and if she looked closely, she could see the beginnings of the red pentagram on her forehead.

She pulled her wand out of her boot and began to wave it in quick, complicated motions. It took several charms layered on top of each other just to cover her hair and even more to cover the cursed scar on her face.

"Thanks," she murmured, "you always notice before I do."

"My pleasure, Allen."

She whipped around and glared at the enchanted object. "I've told you a thousand times, don't call me that."

The mirror huffed at her but stayed silent as she unpacked the rest of her bag. Dozens of dark boots just like the ones she was wearing flew out of her bag and arranged themselves on the rack she had conjured. Her hairbrush and the like settled on the table next to her bed.

Setting her wand down on the bed, she made her way over to the wardrobe that had been in the room and yanked the doors open.

* * *

 **And that's the first chapter.**

 **Honestly this entire fic is just wish fulfillment, so if you don't like it then I won't be offended. I've been having fun writing it and I really do hope that you all will like it. I'm in DESPERATE need of a beta reader, so if anyone wants to volunteer then jus P.M. me :)**

 **Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione was sitting in her bed quietly reading while Ginny flipped through a Quidditch magazine when she heard a loud scream from down the hall. Both the witches shot up and ran towards the sound without a second thought. They could hear whimpering as they got closer to the room Ellen had claimed and quickened their pace. Hermione threw open the door and gasped.

Ellen was on the ground, her wand a few feet away from her on top of the bed. She was shaking and speaking to herself, staring down the strange man that was standing in front of her.

He had light skin and a thin mustache, and he was wearing a top hat and clothes like an old Victorian gentleman. Ellen was still staring at him, repeating the same thing. "You're not Mana. Mana is dead, you're not Mana!" She was gradually getting louder. Hermione went to step towards the girl when Ellen's bright yellow eyes snapped towards her.

"No, you have to get out of here!" She rasped out, "He's going to kill you, you have to leave!"

As she spoke the man began to morph into something grotesque. It was like he was a giant, gray parody of the man he had been. The creature had the same bright yellow eyes as Ellen and a demonic grin. "You just have to say their names, dear Allen." It cooed at her. "You can have them back. Just say their names."

Ellen backed away until she hit the foot of her bed, wand completely forgotten. Her eyes flew back to Hermione and Ginny. "What did I tell you idiots, leave!"

"Ginny, go get help!" Hermione whispered urgently, inching her way into the room. Ginny took off sprinting down the hall and Hermione heard her storming down the stairs to get to where the adults were sitting in the kitchen.

"Ellen, it's just a boggart," She tried to make her voice as soothing as possible. "You need to grab your wand and you can get rid of it."

"No, no, no!" Ellen whimpered, never taking her eyes off the boggart. "I have to kill him, he has to be stopped."

She raised her left arm, the jewel on the back of her hand beginning to glow a deep purple. "I won't let you hurt anyone again, _Adam_."

The creature snarled at her and lunged just as Remus burst into the room. " _Riddikulus!_ "

The thing turnred to Remus with add eyes before it suddenly began to deflate as if it was a balloon. It flew around the room crashing into walls until he vanished the thing back into the wardrobe and rushed towards Ellen. Remus grabbed her by the arms and shook her roughly. "Ellen! It was just a boggart! It's gone, it wasn't real."

She blinked quickly and when Hermione looked over at her, her eyes were grey again. Ellen shuddered and pulled away from Remus and went to retrieve her wand.

"Thank you Remus." She said quietly. "Bloody evil house."

He nodded in return. "We can have Moody come remove it tomorrow, just don't open it again."

Ellen smiled blankly at him. "No need for that."

She walked over to the wardrobe and yanked it back open, the black blob launching out again. She reached out with her discolored arm, sparking with the same purple light. "You've been a right little git, you know that?" Ellen hissed, squeezing the thing. "And little gits need to remember where they stand on the food chain."

She squeezed harder and the purple sparks covered the boggart's form. Hermione heard a high pitch squealing noise and then the boggart was gone, black dust trailing from Ellen's clenched fist. Ellen dusted her hands off on her pants and turned back to the pair.

"Now that I've taken the rubbish out, you can leave. I won't be bothering you any more." Ellen smiled politely at them. Remus left quickly, shaking his head. Hermione hesitantly followed, stopping when she heard Ellen call her name.

"Oh, and Hermione?" She turned back to face Ellen. "You're not going to breath a word of what you just saw, understand?"

She nodded and all but ran out, Ellen's bright yellow eyes watching her every move.

* * *

Hermione shut the door to her and Ginny's room tightly, her heart pounding in her chest. She sank to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest while her heart pounded so loud that she was sure that Ginny could hear it. That creature had been absolutely terrifying and if Ellen's reaction was anything to go by, it was also beyond dangerous. What kind of person had the Order welcomed into Grimmauld Place that had fears like that?

Where on earth had Ellen even encountered something like that? Was it something that could be near them now?

She placed her head between her knees and tried her best to breath deeply. That creature had brought out such a primal fear inside of her, like she was its prey. "Hermione?" Ginny called hesitantly. "What..what was that thing?"

"I don't know." she admitted, "But we're going to find out."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the pair, Ellen was standing right outside their door listening. At Hermione's last words she sighed and reached into her boot for her wand. As she went to open the door, she heard Remus' voice behind her.

"Don't." he said firmly. "I know what you're about to do, but you can't go Obliviating everyone that learns something about the Noah."

"It isn't safe for them to know." she hissed. "They've seen Adam's face! None of us know how he chooses a host and I won't let him be able to worm his way into their minds. Those are smart, kind girls and I can't let them be ruined."

She went to open the door again and this time Remus grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her away. He dragged her struggling form down the hall to her room and pulled her inside. "It's wrong, you know it is."

She pulled her wrist out of his grip and turned her face away. "Don't even try to lecture me right now Remus. You don't have that right."

"Ellen.." he murmured, stepping closer.

Ellen screwed her eyes shut and stepped away. "No. Remus, I'm not doing this."

He pulled back and looked down at her with pain in his eyes. She shook her head and grimaced. "You need to leave. Now."

Remus nodded and walked away, looking back at her once. Ellen stubbornly refused to meet his eyes, collapsing against the wall as soon as the door shut. She took deep, heaving breaths to calm herself.

The girl rubbed her hands against her eyes firmly, trying to force the tears that had refused to fall for the past two hundred years. "I knew coming back here was a mistake." she whispered to herself. "Wizards bring nothing but pain and death. I should have just stayed away."

She stayed there for what felt like hours, forcing her mind to repair the broken pieces that was Ellen Walker once more. Seeing the Earl had brought back so many memories or a time she thought that she had forgotten. Ellen tried her best to breathe deeply, trying to ground herself.

The Millennium Earl was dead.

Ellen had killed him herself. During the final battle, it had been her to shove the Sword of Exorcism into the Earl's shriveled black heart. She had _felt_ the rage and pain of the memory of Adam as she killed him. That kind of betrayal from another Noah to the Earl himself had damaged the memory beyond repair. It would be another seven thousand years before Adam would have the strength to find a new host and by then she would be ready to kill him again. Never again would she allow him to influence the Clan as he had before.

But no matter how much she tried to convince herself that it would all be fine, there was something in the back of her mind telling her to be on guard; something telling her that she was being watched even though she knew that she wasn't. The others were an ever present tingle in the back of her mind. They were alive and out there, and she knew that _he_ would still be looking for her no matter how long it had been.

She walked over to the writing desk she had conjured and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and ink. The tip of the quill hovered over the parchment, dripping black onto the pristine page while she just stared at it trying to work up the courage to write _something_. Ellen sighed and set her quill down. It wasn't going to happen. She was far too much of a coward to ever reach out.

Maybe another day.

* * *

Ellen woke harshly to the loud buzz of her wand next to her pillow. "Bloody hell.." she muttered. "Nothing important has ever happened this early, this is bloody unnecessary."

She stumbled down the hall to the bathroom that she remembered seeing, yanking the door open before shrieking. There was a house elf standing in there, snarling to itself. It had a bulbous, snout-like nose, bloodshot eyes, many folds of skin, and white hair growing out of his bat-like ears. All in all, it was a generally unpleasant sight.

It turned its eyes to her and sneered. "Scum...filthy Mudblood defiling the Noble House of Black...what would Mistress say..." It muttered as it walked past her. She frowned and stared after it for a moment before heading into the bathroom.

She showered quickly, making sure that her charms had held tight during the emotional night that she had gone through. Her hair was still the same red brown that she charmed it to be. It was the closest that she could get to the natural hair color she had before she was cursed so long ago. With the hair and the scar missing, she looked like she could be any other person on the street. She looked normal.

Ellen rushed down the hall in her towel praying that she would not run into any of the teens on her way, locking her door behind her once she managed to sprint into her room. She grabbed her wand and started summoning things from around her room, quickly drying herself and putting on undergarments. She stood in from of her enchanted mirror, staring at her reflection.

She ran her fingers up the scaled skin of her left arm and traced the designs it made where it met her shoulder. It had looked the same ever since the day that it reformed, a far cry from the shriveled red that used to cover it. The dark purple of dark matter twinkled in the jewel on the back of her hand, a mockery of where her Innocence had once could feel the energy pulsing through her arm at all times; it was chaotic and it almost burned her from the inside, but in an oddly comforting way. It reminded her of what she truly was.

"Oh, quit being so vain." The mirror snarked at her as she didn't move from her position in front of the mirror for a few minutes. She made a rude gesture and eyed the options she had for the day. With a deep sigh she slid on her usual uniform of a dark baggy dress and heavy boots. She quickly dried her hair with a flick of her wand and threw on an equally baggy flannel shirt, frowning at herself. The muggle grunge look had worked for her in America. It had made her look unapproachable in a way that kept her from forming any real attachments, but looking at herself now just made her feel like she was wearing a costume of someone that she wanted to be but never would.

Ellen ordered everything back into its proper place and slid her wand snuggly into her boot. She looked over at the blank piece of parchment she had set out the night before and shook her head. It still wasn't time.

She made her way into the kitchen where Molly was calmly cooking and Sirius was drinking coffee. Ellen sat down in the chair next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, snuggling closer to his warmer body. "Moony told me you ran into a boggart. You okay?" He asked quietly, a concerned look flitting across his face.

"I will be." She promised him. "It just...it took me off guard, that's all."

"That was the Earl that you saw, wasn't it?"

She barked out a laugh. "Of course it was. What else do I have to be scared of?"

He opened his mouth to reply and quickly shut it when the twins came stumbling into the kitchen rubbing the sleep from their eyes. They mumbled out a quick good morning to their mother before sitting down and laying their heads on the table.

"Ah, to be young and full of energy." She teased them gently, summoning a cup of coffee for the four of them. "Shouldn't you boys be excited? It's almost time for you to go back to school!"

A loud groan was the only response that she received. She laughed and went back to leaning against Sirius and quietly drinking her coffee. "Are you excited at least Sirius?" She spoke so softly that only he could hear her.

Sirius nodded against her again. "I wish I could have him come live here..."

"What's he like?" She asked. "Is he like them?"

"The very best of them. He looks just like James, but he has Lily's eyes." Ellen gently squeezed his arm when she heard him get choked up.

"I wish I had gotten to see him more." Her voice broke slightly. "He was such a small thing when I last saw him and now he's all grown. I feel like if I even blink then you'll all be grown and gone."

He nudged her playfully. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Who else is going to be your human pillow if I'm not around?"

"Not fair," she whined and burrowed herself deeper against his side, "You're so warm and I'm always cold."

"Brilliant witch that you are and you can't even conjure a jacket." Ellen smacked his shoulder lightly.

"Oh shush."

Moments later Hermione and Ginny walked into the kitchen looking much more awake than the twins. Ellen nodded a greeting at them, holding back a sigh at the way they almost cringed away from her. They sat on the opposite side of the table and looked down refusing to make eye contact. "Hey," Ellen called softly. "I'm sorry you had to see that, I should have checked that thing before I just opened it like that."

"What was that thing?" Hermione asked, staring straight into her eyes.

Ellen sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "He was known as the Earl of Millennium, but his name was Adam."

"I've read about him," the curly hair witch replied, "The Earl was the leader of the Noah though..."

She trailed off and stared at Ellen who just sighed again. "He was also insane. Adam would make your Dark Lord seem like an angry chihuahua. I just wish you hadn't seen his face. Obliviation would be the best option, but that's not happening right now."

Ginny looked at her with a confused expression. "Why would we need to be Obliviated? It was just a boggart, not the real thing."

"Because none of us could ever figure out how Adam chose his host. It could be that he latches on to those who have seen him. You seem like good kids and I don't want him to go after you if he manages to reincarnate sooner than we believe." Ellen explained. "The memory of Adam is the strongest among us, and it twists the host into something that isn't even human anymore. Shite, I'm lucky that I'm still sane."

Sirius squeezed her knee comfortingly but she brushed his hand away. "There's a reason there are so few of us left. The memories of Noah are strong and they start to take over if you aren't careful. Most people end up killing themselves before they've even fully awakened. Not that I blame them, it's a horrifying process if you don't know what's happening."

"Then what memory are you?" Ginny blurted out, "If you're still you, is yours weak or something?"

"Mine is something that never should have existed." She waved her hand and summoned another cup of coffee into her hands. "But that's a story for another time."

Molly scowled slightly at her. "They are children, they don't need to know these things."

"I was their age when I fought in my first war. They won't be children for much longer." Ellen pointed out.

"Still, they aren't of age yet and I won't have you filling their heads with that kind of talk."

"Okay, okay" Ellen relented, "No more talking about the scary creatures. Tell me Molly, what kind of work are you going to have us do today? I know you've got something planned."

"We've got to keep cleaning the rooms." Molly said primly. "There's a serious infestation of doxies in this place."

The Noah groaned and let her head fall onto the table. "I suppose that we're only allowed to use _Scourgify_?"

The glare that Molly sent her way was the only answer that she needed.

* * *

Once Ron had finally come into the kitchen and breakfast was served, they were all herded upstairs into the library armed with Doxie spray and dusters. The six of them worked in relative silence, the occasional sneeze breaking up the monotony. Molly would make her way into the room every so often, frowning at Ellen when she tried to pet the doxies.

"Not my fault they like me," she grumbled. "They're just like Teez, always following me."

She brushed one off her shoulder and sprayed it down. Ellen went to cast another _Scourgify_ at a piece of furniture when she threw her hands in the air. "Bugger all this." She groaned, "I did not cross the ocean to scrub chairs down. What do you say we handle all this now and skive off?"

The twins grinned roguishly at her. "Why, Ellen-"

"we never knew you were such-"

"-a rule breaker!"

She smirked at them in return. "Now you go on and step back from all of that. Molly is about to come up here in a right tiff and I don't want you all to get any of the blame." Ellen winked at Hermione who realized quickly what spell she was about to use.

" _Mundomius!_ " The dust and grime began to melt away just as it had in her room, spreading throughout the whole house. " _Cretordinem!_ "

They all ducked down as furniture and books began flying through the air, settling themselves into their correct spots. The teens peeked out into the hallway and gaped at how _clean_ everything was. All of the scattered objects had been neatly put away, the broken lights repaired.

Their wonder was interrupted by Molly's loud shout of "Ellen Walker!"

"Shite," Ellen cursed, "That's my cue to hide. If she asks, tell her I'm at the Ark and I'm not coming out until she's done!"

The Noah took off running and slammed her door behind her. A bright white light shone from underneath the door, illuminating the dim hallway. Seconds later Molly came up the stairs, her face red with anger.

"Where did she go?" She snapped at her children.

"Erm, she said she was going to the Ark, wherever that is." Ron mumbled, scared of his mother's wrath.

"That little-" Molly scowled and marched down to Ellen's door. "You almost took Sirius's head off with that blasted charm! I've told you not to just throw around spells that you don't understand!"

"I had it under control Molly! No one got hurt!" Ellen shouted and the light disappeared, leaving the hallway in darkness once more.

Molly huffed once and turned to march back down the stairs. "I want to see you lot working on your homework!" She ordered, storming down the stairs.

"She really knows how to get under Mum's skin." Ron groaned. Hermione rolled her eyes and dragged him down the hall, Ginny trailing behind them. The twins looked at each other and shrugged, apparating into their room to keep working on new products.

* * *

Inside the Ark, Ellen strolled through the streets kicking a rock around. It was completely empty and the sound of the rock bouncing echoed against the walls. Ellen sighed deeply. "It's not like I was trying to hurt anyone!" She argued to herself, "Just because they haven't heard the spell doesn't make it something bad."

She stared up at the large white tower and sighed again. Screwing her eyes shut, she willed the Ark to move her towards it. Ellen was standing right outside it when she opened her eyes once more. With another sigh she headed over to the small gardens next to the tower. She weaved her way through the winding paths until she ended up in a small clearing with a single large tree at the head. She walked over to the tree, crouching down to run her fingers across the two small stones that rested at the foot of the tree.

 _'Mana Walker, father and brother_ ' one read. She gently stroked the second one, her throat tightening up with emotion.

' _Nicholas Walker, precious son'_ Ellen felt a hot burning sensation behind her eyes, but the tears refused to fall. She sat down in front of the stones, fiddling with the grass beneath her.

"Hey," she started, her voice cracking. "It's been a while. I'm sorry I don't have anything for you two, I wasn't planning on coming here if I'm being honest. It's just.. there's another war that I've been dragged into and I'm not sure that I want to help. These people, they were my friends but all I see when I look at them are their deaths. I know, kind of morbid to be saying that to a grave, but you two are the only ones I can be honest with. They want me to find the others now, I'm sure it isn't just because they want me to be reunited with my family. We're weapons, that's all people see when they look at us. One Noah is strong but imagine if they had six? That nasty Voldemort wouldn't stand a chance. Molly thinks that I don't know that's the reason why she pushes me so hard to find them."

"If I'm being honest, I want to find them." She admitted to herself. "I've been alone for so long and I can _feel_ them, all the time, just there at the edge of my mind. All I would have to do is call them here and we'd be together again."

Ellen ran her fingers through her hair. "But what if they haven't changed? I can't bring them into the Order without knowing that they aren't going to slaughter everyone in their sleep. I wish you were here Mana, you would know what to do. You always did. I always want you here though. You were supposed to be there for everything Mana. I wanted you there at my wedding, when I found out about Nicholas. I needed you there when my sweet child was lost. I needed you when I lost Crown Clown. I needed you!"

She slammed her fists down on the ground. "Why did you let him take your mind? You were so strong Mana, you could have resisted it. Were you that broken that you couldn't fight? Was I not enough of a reason for you to keep him out?"

"I feel so alone, even though I'm surrounded by people that I know care about me. I want them here, with me. Good or bad, they're the only family I have left." Ellen brushed her hand across the stones again. "I have to leave now, it's probably been hours outside of here. I'll come back soon. I love you."

With a wave of her hand, she opened a gate back into Grimmauld Place and stepped through. And promptly landed face first on the kitchen table.

"Ellen!" Molly scolded, looking up from her reading material, "Where have you been?"

"Thought it was obvious that I was in the Ark. I really need to start focusing on where I open gates, that hurt." Ellen groaned, rubbing her head. "How long was I gone?"

"Four. Hours." Molly ground out. "You can't go hide in your Ark when you don't want to talk about things!"

"Molly, as much as I love your lectures, I'm really just not in the mood right now." She sighed.

The older woman's expression softened in understanding. "You visited your father?"

Ellen nodded. "I did. Just, can we please not talk about it?"

Molly nodded and turned back to her reading with one last squeeze to Ellen's shoulder. Ellen sat there in silence, running her hand over her flat stomach. She screwed her eyes shut and excused herself, all but running up the stairs.

She stormed past Ginny and Hermione, ignoring them when they called her name. Her door slammed loudly behind her, locking with a wave of the Noah's hand. Ellen threw herself onto the bed, hugging a pillow close to her numb chest.

Her eyes must have stared at the wall for hours, the sunlight dimming and giving way to darkness as she lay there. It was as if she was in a trance that made her completely unbothered to the passage of time. She could have laid there for days and not have noticed that more than a minute had gone by.

* * *

A loud pounding on her door shook Ellen out of her state. She took a deep breath and finally opened the door. Kingsley stood before her, a concerned frown on his face.

"Something," he began, "Has come up."

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO UP IN THIS AYYY**

 **The next chapter will arrive sometime next week, and I am still looking for someone to read over them before I post so if anyone would like to just PM me :)**


	3. Chapter 3

As Kingsley and Ellen walked down the stairs he explained the situation to her in depth. A member of the Advance Guard, Emmeline Vance, had been struck with a nasty curse leaving her home earlier that morning and was now resting in stable condition at St. Mungo's. But with her out of action, they were short a guard to safely transport Harry Potter to Grimmauld Place.

"You want me to help you get him?" Ellen asked, raising a single eyebrow.

Kingsley nodded solemnly. "You're a powerful witch, we could really use you tonight."

She grinned crookedly at him. "I'm part of the Order, aren't I? Let me grab my broom."

The Noah rushed past the other members of the Advance Guard that were waiting in the foyer. She tripped on a stair, cursing loudly when the portrait of Walburga Black began to screech at the top of it's lungs. She sent a sheepish grin at the others and hurried up the stairs and into her room. Her arm was elbow deep in her duffel bag before she felt the smooth wooden handle of her broom. Ellen yanked it out and thundered back down to where Sirius was struggling to close the curtains again.

"Alright then," she smiled, "Let's be off!"

* * *

The guard took off in front of Grimmauld Place, Ellen flying between Tonks and Moody. She shook her head wildly, enjoying the rush of the wind through her hair.

Moody made a noise of disapproval beside her. "This would be much safer if we could use your little castle." He growled over at her.

"You know the rules, Alastor. I can't open a gate in a place I've never been!" Ellen snapped back. Her old mentor frowned and looked forward. Shrugging at the attitude, she turned over to Tonks and they began an easy conversation. The seven flew high above the clouds for the next two hours, shivering but hidden from view. Soon Kingsley spotted the house that Harry Potter was staying in and they made their descent. The guard moved quickly and quietly once they were on the ground, unlocking the door with a fast _Alohamora_. They filed in one after the other remaining silent as they did so.

The house was dark and quiet when they spread out around the house. Moody and Remus took the upstairs while the others dispersed to different rooms downstairs. Ellen and Tonks carefully moved into the kitchen, a _Lumos_ lit on the tips of their wands.

Ellen had turned to say something to the young witch when she heard a loud crash. She whipped around the see that Tonks had managed to knock a plate off of the counter and break it.

"Damn it Tonks!" She muttered, intending on tearing the woman a new one. She paused when she heard movement from upstairs, something light unlike Moody's footsteps.

They rapidly moved through the house and followed the others up the stairs, standing in the dark hallway where Moody and Remus were waiting. One of the doors in the hallway swung open silently as a rather thin boy moved with his wand out. The boy looked up and stilled once he laid eyes on them, lifting up his wand to defend himself.

"Lower your wand, boy, before you take someone's eye out," Moody said in a low, growling voice. She glared over at him for the unnecessarily gruff tone of voice.

The boy lowered his wand and called out in a small voice. "Professor Moody?"

"I don't know so much about 'Professor,'" growled Moody, "never got round to much teaching, did I? Get down here, we want to see you properly."

Harry lowered his wand more but did not relax his grip on it and stayed frozen in place. The boy looked like he was going to bolt any second when Remus called out to him. "It's all right, Harry. We've come to take you away."

"P-Professor Lupin?" he stuttered. "Is that you?"

"Why are we all standing in the dark?" Ellen complained loudly."It's absolutely ridiculous. _Lumos_."

The tip of her wand flared with light once more, illuminating the hallway. Harry blinked rapidly, staring out at the crowd of people both in front of him and waiting by the foot of the stairs. A few of the guard looked as if they were straining their necks just to catch a glimpse of the boy like he looked anything different than a scrawny teenage boy.

"Oh, he looks just like I thought he would," said Tonks, the light from Ellen's wand highlighting her spiky purple hair. "Wotcher, Harry!"

"Yeah, I see what you meant, Remus," Kingsley murmured, examining the boy closely. "He looks exactly like James."

"Except the eyes," Ellen met those bright green eyes with her own silver ones. "Lily's eyes."

Moody glared suspiciously at Harry, lifting his wand up. "Are you quite sure it's him, Lupin?" he growled. "It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know."

She resisted the strong urge to hit her mentor. Remus met her eye and sighed. "Harry, what form does your Patronus take?"

"A stag."

"That's him, Mad-Eye," said Remus. Moody relaxed somewhat, allowing Harry to pass him and make his way down the stairs. Ellen watched him slide his wand in the back pocket of his jeans and winced.

"Don't put your wand there, boy!" roared Moody. "What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost buttocks, you know!"

"Who d'you know who's lost a buttock?" Tonks eyed him, forcing Ellen to hold back a fit of giggles.

"Never you mind, you just keep your wand out of your back pocket!" growled Mad-Eye. "Elementary wand safety, nobody bothers about it anymore, using any which place to store them." His eye swiveled to Ellen, who he had scolded for keeping her wand in her shoes at least a hundred times.

Ellen followed Moody as he limped into the kitchen, giggling when he called Tonks out for rolling her eyes. She paused in the doorway, looking back to see Harry and Remus speaking quietly. Lupin held out his hand and shook Harry's and they walked over to the kitchen

"I'm, you're really lucky the Dursleys are out.." Harry mumbled as he walked in.

"Lucky, ha!" Tonks laughed, her eyes filled with glee. "It was me that lured them out of the way. Sent a letter by Muggle post telling them they'd been short-listed for the All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. They're heading off to the prize-giving right now...Or they think they are."

Ellen watched a brief bit of amusement flit across Harry's face before he turned back to Remus. "We are leaving, aren't we?" he asked. "Soon?"

"Almost at once," Remus reassured him, "we're just waiting for the all-clear."

"Where are we going? The Burrow?" Harry's voice was so full of hope that it made her heart hurt for the boy.

"Not the Burrow, no. It's too risky. We've set up headquarters somewhere undetectable. It's taken a while, but it's ready"

Remus gestured around the room, motioning to each member of the Advance Guard. "This is Alastor Moody, Harry," He started, pointing toward Moody.

"Yeah, I know," said Harry, looking oddly uncomfortable.

"And this is Nymphadora-"

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," Tonks shuddered in disgust. "It's Tonks."

"-Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," finished Remus.

"So would you if your fool of a mother had called you 'Nymphadora,'" muttered Tonks. Ellen cackled loudly, ducking from the teasing glare the other witch sent her.

"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt" — he indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed — "Elphias Doge" — the wheezy-voiced wizard nodded — "Dedalus Diggle — Sturgis Podmore" — a square-jawed wizard with thick, straw-colored hair winked — "Hestia Jones." A pink-cheeked, black-haired witch waved from next to the toaster.

"And this," he said gesturing towards Ellen, "is Ellen Walker. She's your godmother." The last part was spoken quietly, intended for only Harry's ears. The boy's eyes widened and he stared at Ellen in shock. She smiled shyly and waved, unsure of what else to do.

"We're just waiting for the signal to tell us it's safe to set off," said Remus, glancing out of the kitchen window. "We've got about fifteen minutes."

"How're we getting, wherever we're going?" Harry asked quietly.

"Brooms," Remus explained. "Only way. You're too young to Apparate, they'll be watching the Floo Network, and it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorized Portkey."

"And some witches refuse to use their resources." Moody remarked, earning a warning look from Ellen.

"Remus says you're a good flier," Kingsley remarked, still watching the boy intently.

"He's excellent," Remus replied, checking his watch. "Anyway, you'd better go and get packed, Harry, we want to be ready to go when the signal comes."

"I'll come and help you," said Tonks brightly. The pair exited the room and turned up the stairs. As soon as their footsteps had faded, Ellen slumped into a chair across from Moody.

She rubbed her hands across her face and into her short hair. "He looks so small. Were Lily and James that small?"

Remus rubbed her shoulder gently. "He's had a hard life."

Exhaustion set in as she sat there, watching the other witches and wizards tinker with the Muggle technology that was in the kitchen. Fifteen minutes must have passed before Harry and Tonks came back down the stairs, an owl cage in Tonks' hand and a trunk trailing behind them. The boy had an expensive looking broomstick clutched in his hand, making Ellen's heart clinch. Harry must love the sport as much as his father had.

"Excellent," he said, looking up at the two of them. "We've got a minute of so, we should head out to the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry-"

"They won't," said Harry.

"That you're safe-"

"That'll just depress them."

"-and you'll see them next summer."

"Do I have to?"

Remus smiled in response but gave no answer. Ellen was frowning at the exchange. Were his guardians really so terrible for him to feel like they wouldn't care about his wellbeing?

"Come here, boy," said Moody gruffly, beckoning Harry toward him with his wand. "I need to Disillusion you."

"You need to what?" Harry's eyebrows shot up.

"Disillusionment Charm," Moody said, raising his wand. He started to form the charm, a small frown of concentration on his face "Lupin says you've got an Invisibility Cloak, but it won't stay on while we're flying; this'll disguise you better. Here you go-!"

"Nice one, Mad-Eye," Tonks whistled, examining Harry. Ellen had to agree, it was an excellent charm. The boy looked like he had taken on the color and texture of the background, appearing very well hidden.

"Come on," Moody growled, unlocking the back door with his wand. They all stepped outside onto the somewhat impressive green lawn.

"Clear night," grunted Moody, his magical eye scanning the heavens. "Could've done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you," he barked at Harry, "we're going to be flying in close formation. Tonks'll be right in front of you, keep close on her tail. Lupin'll be covering you from below. I'm going to be behind you. The rest'll be circling us. We don't break ranks for anything, got me? If one of us is killed —"

"Is that likely?" Harry asked apprehensively, but Moody ignored him.

"— the others keep flying, don't stop, don't break ranks. If they take out all of us and you survive, Harry, the rear guard are standing by to take over; keep flying east and they'll join you."

"Stop being so cheerful, Mad-Eye, he'll think we're not taking this seriously," Tonks remarked, strapping Harry's belongings into the harness she had hanging from her broom.

"I'm just telling the boy the plan," growled Moody. "Our job's to deliver him safely to headquarters and if we die in the attempt —"

"No one's going to die," Kingsley reassured the boy at the frightened look on his face.

"Mount your brooms, that's the first signal!" Remus called, pointing towards the shower of red sparks that flared. They all swung a leg over their brooms and gripped the handles tightly. Harry looked excited just to be on a broom.

"Second signal, let's go!" said Remus loudly, as more sparks, green this time, exploded high above them.

They kicked off hard from the ground, soaring into the cool night air. Ellen tossed her head again, still enjoying the sensation of flying. From the looks of it, Harry was just as happy as she was to be in the air. She drifted beneath him, glancing all around for other witches or wizards.

"Hard left, hard left, there's a Muggle looking up!" shouted Moody from above. They all swerved sharply, Ellen wincing at the way Harry's belongings swung in the air. "We need more height. Give it another quarter of a mile!"

Their eyes were starting to water from the cold, their cheeks bright pink in the wind. It had only grown colder in the time that it had taken to get Harry and Ellen felt like her hands might get stuck to her broomstick if they had to fly for too much longer.

"Bear southeast and keep climbing, there's some low cloud ahead we can lose ourselves in!" called Moody.

"We're not going through clouds, you bloody nutter!" Ellen screeched at him. "We'll freeze to our brooms!"

They altered their course every now and then according to Moody's instructions. It was quiet, only the sound of the wind whistling filling their ears. They flew for what must have been over an hour in complete silence.

As they got closer to their destination, the guard began to swoop around more, shifting who was next to Harry at all times. Each one had their wands out and were watching for anyone who might be laying in wait.

"We ought to double back for a bit, just to make sure we're not being followed!" Moody shouted.

"ARE YOU MAD, MAD-EYE?" Tonks screamed from the front. "If we keep going off course we're not going to get there until next week! We're nearly there now!"

"Time to start the descent!" Remus shouted above the wind. They fell into a dive, heading straight for the city. The lights were growing nearer until they could start to see individual headlights and streetlights.

"Here we go!" called Tonks, and a few seconds later they had landed in a patch of grass in a small square.

"Where are we?" Harry asked Remus, getting a quick, "In a minute."

Ellen could see Moody fumbling in his pockets for Albus's Put-Outer. He finally found it and clicked it in the air with confidence. The nearest streetlamp went out with a pop; he clicked it again and the next lamp went out. He kept on with his clicking until the only lights that shone were those inside houses.

"Borrowed it from Dumbledore." Moody grunted at Harry as an explanation. He took the boy by the arm and led him from the patch of grass, across the road, and onto the pavement. Remus and Tonks followed, carrying Harry's trunk between them, the rest of the guard, all with their wands out, flanking them.

The muffled pounding of a stereo was coming from an upper window in the nearest house. A pungent smell of rotting rubbish came from the pile of bulging bin-bags just inside the broken gate and they could even hear a young girl singing to herself from within a house.

"Here," Moody muttered, thrusting a familiar piece of parchment toward Harry's Disillusioned hand and holding his lit wand close to it, so as to illuminate the writing.

"Read quickly and memorize."

She watched Harry read it and look up in amazement as Grimmauld Place revealed itself to him. The boy gaped and she could hear him begin to say something when Moody hurried him up to the door saying whatever it was could wait until they were safe.

Remus knocked on the door and ushered them all in once it was open, Kingsley lingering outside to return the lights from the Put-Outer. She squinted in the dark and groped around the find the way to turn the gas lamps on. Remus reached over her head and turned the knob with a click, illuminating the place in dull light.

Harry looked somewhat skeptical as he observed the place and she couldn't resist teasing him. "You should have seen it before they let me have a crack at it. Cobwebs. Everywhere."

He looked blankly at her before cracking a hesitant smile. There was the sound of hurried footsteps as Molly rushed into the room, embracing the boy like he was one of her own. She squeezed him tightly, murmuring something about getting him fed as soon as possible.

She turned to the others and whispered urgently. "Meeting's about to start, _he's_ just arrived."

Ellen's eyes widened and she stared at Molly in disbelief. There was no way that that man was still involved with the Order. The others rushed to the back of the house towards the kitchen, only Ellen and Remus hesitating. After a second they went to follow, Harry right behind them.

She heard Molly hold Harry back and explain that he couldn't sit in on the meeting but she would show him to his room. The sound of their footsteps going up the stairs filled her ears, getting fainted as they walked away.

* * *

The kitchen was loud and full of Order members. They had all filled in the various seats of the table and were chatting with each other. Ellen quickly grabbed the seat next to Sirius, glaring at the darkly dressed wizard at the other end of the table.

Severus Snape was not someone that was welcome, in Ellen's opinion. He had joined the Order as a spy shortly after Lily and James had been killed. Something about him never sat right with her, and she had always suspected he wasn't as loyal to the Order as he should be.

Said man sneered at her when their eyes met. "I see Dumbledore's favorite.. _pet_ has shown her face." He drawled out.

Ellen scowled and went to pull her wand from her boot to curse him when Albus arrived, a hush falling over the room. He sat himself at the head of the table and began to speak.

"I am glad to see that young Mr. Potter is here safe and sound." His blue eyes twinkled. As the man continued to inform them of the recent happenings concerning Potter's trial and the activity of Voldemort, Ellen's sharp hearing picked up the sound of yelling from upstairs.

She frowned and focused, trying her best to understand what was being said. It sounded like Harry's voice and he was certainly angry about something. Just as she was beginning to comprehend the conversation, it stopped in a dead halt.

Ellen jerked back to reality, doing her best to focus in the meeting. It seemed they had been discussing everyone's individual tasks and Albus was staring at her expectantly.

"Er, sorry," she muttered. "I missed that."

"Quite alright Ellen," Albus smiled gently at her. "We were simply wondering if you would be up to a more hands-on type of assignment."

She grinned wolfishly, leaning forward. "I'd love to. It's been a while since I got to take on some Death Eaters."

Albus shook his head. "I was thinking more along the lines of protection. You see, as safe as Hogwarts is, Voldemort was still able to have Harry Potter kidnapped last year. We as professors and educators can only keep an eye on Harry when he is around us and it saddens me to say that he does not fully trust us. However," His damn eye twinkled again. "You are physically the same age as he is. Someone like you could attend Hogwarts and get close to Harry. You could be someone he can trust."

"You want me to go to school?" said Ellen, her eyes wide. "No. No, no, no, no, _no_! Albus, I can't just walk into your school and start going to classes. The Ministry doesn't even recognize me as a Being!"

He pulled out a bright blue pamphlet, images flitting across the cover. "That is why you, Ellen Walker, are the first recipient of the Creature Outreach Program scholarship. You'll find that it is perfectly legal for you to be a Hogwarts student."

She snatched the pamphlet and read it through quickly. It was a load of hogwash. The booklet claimed that the purpose was to integrate Beasts that were on the edge of Being status into wizarding society. C.O.P. would pay in full all for all supplies and tuition needed to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It would go to any qualified Beast of school age, no matter how late they started. Ellen felt her eye wanting to twitch at being referred to as a Beast. She gently set the pamphlet down and looked at Albus.

"What did it take for you to pull _this_ off?" She leaned back in her chair. "The Ministry has never cared about anyone but wizards and now you want me to believe that they've changed their minds all on their own?"

"It took some of the last few favors I had within the Wizengamot." He admitted. "But it was for the greater good of Mr. Potter."

The Noah grit her teeth and glared before finally relenting. "Fine. I'll go to your school and I'll keep an eye on Harry. But make no mistakes, I'm only doing this to honor James and Lily, _not_ because you asked me to."

The whole table was in silent shock at the way she spoke to Dumbledore. Even in the first war, she had always been the first to defend Dumbledore's decisions and argued that he knew what was best. And now here she was, all but spitting venom at the old wizard.

Albus leaned back, looking much older than he was. The meeting continued smoothly after that, adjourning within fifteen minutes. Ellen remained stubbornly at the table, ignoring Arthur and Bill's quiet conversation and Mundungus's obnoxious snoring. Albus touched her shoulder gently as he went to leave, but she just shook his hand off.

"I'm not a Beast, Albus." she murmured quietly. "I thought you of all people would acknowledge that."

The elderly wizard let out a small sigh, so small that she barely heard it, before continuing out of the meeting. Ellen sat there for a few minutes, lost in her thoughts until a loud screeching startled her.

 _"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place How dare you befoul the house of my fathers—"_

She rolled her eyes and stormed out of the kitchen, wand ready to blast the damn painting off the wall. Remus and Molly were desperately trying to pull the curtains in front of it shut but they weren't budging.

Walburga Black's painted face turned red and her eyes bulged when she laid eyes on Ellen. _"Disgusting, nasty little beast! Defiling the home of true wizards, leave!"_

Ellen gripped her wand and snarled. "I should destroy the very wall you sit on, you miserable old bint!"

The portrait screeched again and Sirius came running out, yelling back at the thing. With a great amount of effort he, Ellen and Remus were finally able to tug the curtains closed and the screaming faded away.

Sirius turned to Harry with a grim smile. "Hello Harry. I see you've met my mother."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

The two of them conversed quietly as Sirius explained to Harry where they were and it was the way it was. Ellen turned to Ron and Hermione and spoke quietly. "I heard yelling earlier. Are you alright?"

"Harry was upset that we had kept all this from him." Hermione explained, walking next to Ellen as they headed to the kitchen. "We haven't been able to say anything, Dumbledore made us swear not to."

"You don't have to rationalize yourselves to me. I know how Albus is."

They walked in to Molly scolding Mundungus; the man was merrily puffing on his pipe without a care in the world while Molly looked as if she would have an aneurism any second. "Would you _please_ not smoke that thing in the kitchen, especially not when we're about to eat!" The scruffy man grumbled but put out the pipe, the smell of smoke still lingering in the air. "If you want dinner before midnight, I'll need a few helping hands." Molly continued, gesturing towards the counter.

Ginny and Tonks, despite Molly's protests, began pulling out cutlery and the like. Hermione went to help them and began setting dishes on the table. Soon a series of heavy knives were chopping meat and vegetables of their own accord, supervised by Ellen who was arguing about technique while Molly stirred a cauldron dangling over the fire and the others took out more goblets, and food from the pantry.

Mixed conversation flowed from the table. Mundungus and the twins were roaring with laughter while Sirius and Harry were speaking on the other end of the table. She focused in on what the two were talking about, snorting lightly.

"...his snide hints that he's out there risking his life while I'm sat on my backside here having a nice comfortable time, asking me how the cleaning's going —"

"What cleaning?" asked Harry.

"This place was barely fit for human habitation when we got here." Sirius vaguely waved his hand. "No one's lived here for ten years, not since my dear mother died, unless you count her old house-elf, and he's gone round the twist, hasn't cleaned anything in ages!"

"Lucky thing I showed up," Ellen teased him gently. "This place would still be covered in grime if we'd kept cleaning with just _Scourgify_."

Harry stared at her. "Er, what else can you use?"

She could feel her eyes twinkling like Albus's at the question. "Well you see, it's this lovely little spell I learned-"

"Enough of that!" Molly scolded her. "You are not going to teach them any of your tricks!"

Ellen stuck her tongue out at the older woman, who was motioning for the twins to help move everything to the table. "Fred — George — NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Molly shrieked.

The ones at the table looked around and, a split second later, dived away from the table. Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of butterbeer, and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air toward them.

The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface, the flagon of butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere, and the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before.

"Never did like that table." Ellen commented, completely ignored as Molly yelled at her sons.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" screamed Molly. "THERE WAS NO NEED- I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS- JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" said Fred, hurrying forward and wrenching the bread knife out of the table. "Sorry Sirius, mate — didn't mean to —"

Harry, Sirius, and Ellen were roaring with laughter while Mundungus had actually fallen out of his chair. Molly continued to scream at the twins, comparing them to their brothers before stopping cold in her tracks. She stiffened and looked as if she was holding back tears for a moment.

"Why don't we go ahead and eat?" Remus gently suggested. They all quietly sat down and for a few minutes there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food.

Then Molly turned to Sirius and spoke, "I've been meaning to tell you, there's something trapped in that old wardrobe in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could just be a boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out."

All of those who had been present for the boggart incident stiffened, no one saying anything. "It's been taken care of, don't worry." Ellen said tightly. "It caught me off guard when I got here and I handled it."

There was an awkward silence, Harry looking confused at the atmosphere. "Well, we'll need to tackle the curtains tomorrow. Ellen took care of most of the cleaning, but there's still a dreadful infestation of doxies." Molly sniffed.

The group all grimaced, but agreed before turning back to their conversations. Tonks was transforming her nose to strange shapes, much to the amusement of Ginny and Hermione. Mundungus was telling Ron and the twins some type of story detailing his more criminal activities, sending Molly into a brand new fit of shrieking.

Sirius leaned back in his chair and eyed Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

"I did!" Harry spat out. "I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so —"

"And they're quite right," Molly replied with a shake of her head. "You're much too young for all of this."

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" asked Sirius.

"Hang on!" One of the twins interrupted loudly.

"Why does Harry gets his questions answered?" The other one said angrily.

"We've been trying to get something out of you for a month and you haven't told us a single thing!"

" _'You're too young, you're not in the Order,'_ " The first twin imitated his mother. "Harry's not even of age!"

"It isn't my fault that your parents made the decision not to tell you," said Sirius calmly. "But Harry—"

"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" Molly said sharply. Her face was a bright pink and she looked angrier than Ellen had seen in years. "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?"

"Which bit?" Sirius's voice was deceptively polite. Ellen groaned and let her head fall onto the table with a thud.

"The bit about not telling Harry more than he _needs to know_ ,"

"I don't plan on telling him more than he needs to know, Molly," He snapped back. "But it was Harry that saw Voldemort come back, he deserves to have some answers!"

"Harry is still not a member of the Order of the Phoenix! He's only fifteen and —"

"— and he's dealt with as much as most in the Order," Their voices were rising steadily, "and more than some —"

"No one's denying what he's gone through, what he's had to do" Molly's hands were trembling in anger "But he's still —"

"He's not a child!" Sirius bit out, looking very much dangerous in that moment.

"He's not an adult either! He's not James, Sirius!" The room went deathly silent. Ellen lifted her head up and slowly clenched her fists.

"I'm perfectly aware of who he is, thanks, Molly," said Sirius coldly.

"I'm not sure you are!"

Ellen slammed her hands down on the table. "That's enough! Molly, the boy's life is at stake here. Would you rather him hear the truth from us or some half baked gossip from someone else?"

"Well," Molly looked around and found no support, "well, I can see I'm going to be overruled. I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has got Harry's best interests at heart —"

"I will deal with Albus!" Ellen snapped. "He's not your son, you don't get to make these decisions for him!"

"He's as good as!" Molly's tone was biting and sarcastic. "Who else does he have? Sirius? It must have been rather difficult for him to look after Harry while he was locked up in Azkaban."

"I think Harry should have some say in this," Remus spoke up. "He's old enough to decide for himself."

"I want to know what's been going on," Harry said at once, avoiding Molly's gaze.

"Very well," said Molly, her voice cracking. "Ginny —Ron — Hermione — Fred — George — I want you out of this kitchen, now."

Instantly the kitchen exploded with protests and yelling. Molly and her children screamed back and forth and it ended with only Ginny being forced to leave. She marched the girl upstairs, Ginny raging and storming the entire way there. The noise triggered Walburga's portrait again and Remus was forced to run out to close the curtains.

It was only after he had returned, closing the kitchen door behind him and taking his seat at the table again, that anyone dared to say a word.

"Alright then Harry, what do you want to know?" Sirius tried to smile in a comforting way.

"Where's Voldemort? What's he doing? I've been trying to watch the Muggle news," Harry said, seeming to ignore the way that people winced at the name, "and there hasn't been anything that looks like him yet, no funny deaths or anything —"

"That's because there haven't been any suspicious deaths yet," said Sirius, "not as far as we know, anyway...And we know quite a lot."

"More than he thinks we do anyway," said Remus.

"Why's he's stopped killing people?"

"Because he doesn't want to draw attention to himself at the moment," said Sirius. "It would be dangerous for him. You messed up his comeback by surviving in that graveyard. Nobody apart from his Death Eaters was supposed to know he'd come back. But you survived to bear witness."

"And the very last person he wanted alerted to his return the moment he got back was Dumbledore," Remus added. "And you made sure Dumbledore knew at once."

"Thanks to you, Dumbledore was able to start recalling the Order of the Phoenix within an hour of Voldemort returning."

"So what's the Order been doing?" asked Harry, looking around at them all.

"We've been making sure that whatever Voldemort is planning won't happen." Ellen finally spoke up, staring straight into Harry's eyes.

"How do you know what his plans are?" Harry asked quickly.

"Albus has a pretty good idea, and his ideas are right more than they're wrong." She replied.

"So what does Dumbledore reckon he's planning?"

"He wants to build up his army again," said Sirius. "In the old days he had huge numbers at his command; witches and wizards he'd bullied or bewitched into following him, his faithful Death Eaters, a great variety of Dark creatures. He's trying to recruit the giants now, but they're only one group that he'll go after. He's certainly not going to try and take on the Ministry of Magic with only a dozen Death Eaters."

"So you're trying to stop him getting more followers?"

"We're doing our best," Remus said. "But the Ministry is working against us at every point."

"But why?" Harry's voice was desperate. "If Dumbledore-"

"Dumbledore's the problem," Tonks added. "His name's mud in the Ministry these days. Fudge is scared that Dumbledore is after his job, so he's doing everything he can to make sure that Dumbledore doesn't seem creditable."

"But you're telling people, aren't you?" said Harry, looking around the room. "You're letting people know he's back?"

Ellen smiled bitterly. "Sirius is a wanted criminal, Remus is a werewolf, and we can't have people losing their jobs in the Ministry for speaking the truth. We're doing all that we can, Harry."

"And who are you?" Harry asked. "Professor Lupin said you're my godmother but you can't be older than I am."

"My name's Ellen, I'm a Noah," she smiled at him, "James and Lily were my friends. I miss them dearly." She took his appearance in with sad eyes, the baggy clothes and his small frame making her heart ache. "I can remember when you were just a few months old. You were so small then, now look at you, so grown up."

Harry opened his mouth to reply when Molly interrupted him. "Enough of that. You all need to get to bed. You've given Harry enough information and you can tell him stories any time Ellen."

She followed them all upstairs, frowning at the bright white light she saw appear beneath Ellen's door. Said girl stood still and waited for Molly's footsteps to fade before closing the Ark door behind her. Mumbling the words needed, she closed her eyes and opened another gate in Ron and Harry's room and quickly stepped out.

The boys looked alarmed until they spotted Ellen. Ron slowly lowered his wand, shaking his head. "Blimey, Ellen! You can't go scaring us like that. We thought you were a Death Eater!"

"Sorry," she replied, not looking the least bit apologetic. "I was hoping you would come talk with me Harry?

He stared suspiciously at her, relaxing when Ron reassured him that she was his friend. Ellen held her hand out and pulled the boy into the Ark.

* * *

Harry's mouth dropped open as he took in the view around him. It a town full of bright white buildings and an enormous white tower at the center. It was so _bright_ compared to Grimmauld Place. Ellen quickly closed the gate behind them and turned to Harry. "I thought we could continue talking here, since Molly cut us short."

He nodded. "How did you know them?"

"Let's go somewhere a little more comfortable, hm? C'mon then, follow me."

Harry followed her into the nearest home, looking startled when they instead entered a large white pavilion high above the city. A warm breeze gently drifted around him as he gazed below.

Ellen giggled, catching his attention once more. She waved her hand and a large, deep fountain grew out of the floor, soft cushions set into the stone around it. Ellen slid her shoes and socks off and sat down, dipping her toes in the bright blue water.

She gestured for Harry to join her and he quickly followed suit. They sat there quietly, seemingly afraid to speak. "I met Lily and James at the first Order meeting I attended." Ellen's voice was soft, but it echoed across the vast space. "You see, I had only joined because I owed Albus a favor and most of the members were.. _hesitant_ to have a 'dark creature' like a Noah join their cause. But not them. Lily just walked right up to me and introduced herself, and she brought me to meet her friends. She and James were so kind, and they did everything to make me feel like I was one of them. Being around them, I felt human for the first time in over a hundred years."

"We only grew closer as the war went on. Those were dark times and all of us clung to each other to feel safe." Her hands clenched. "It was a dark time, but that didn't stop them. Lily and James got married in a private ceremony, with just the six of us and the priest. It was small, but you could just feel how much they loved each other. A few months later, that love grew because they found out that they were having a child. Lily had to pull back from the fighting soon after, because she was scared that something would happen to the baby."

Ellen took a deep, shuddering breath and met Harry's eyes. "Then they had you. You were so, so small but they looked at you like you held the whole universe in your eyes. They loved you so much Harry. I remember sitting in St. Mungo's, watching them count every finger and toe and declare that it was perfect. You were the brightest light in the darkness that had taken over."

"It wasn't until Alice and Frank were tortured to insanity that I realized just what was at stake. I had gone to visit them, watch the little one so they could get some rest. Instead I walked in to see that evil witch holding them under the Cruciatus, _laughing_ at their pain. I managed to kill two of the Death Eaters that were there, but she and two others escaped and the two most brilliant people I knew were unable to even recognize their own son."

"So I ran." She laughed bitterly. "I wrote letters to my friends, told them that I couldn't watch them die and that they would never find me. But I never really did leave. I watched them from far away, protecting them in every battle and skirmish before disappearing again. Then Lily and James disappeared with you. Albus told me that you were in grave danger, so your family went under the Fidelius Charm to protect themselves."

Ellen ran her fingers through her hair, wishing desperately that she could cry for those she lost. "And then they were dead. They were dead and sweet Sirius was a traitor, then Peter was dead and Remus was still so deep in Greyback's pack that I couldn't even recognize him."

"I wanted to take you with me. I begged Albus to let me raise you here, where no one could harm you, but he refused. He wanted Lily's sister to take you in, so that your mother's sacrifice could protect you. And so I left." Ellen swallowed hard. "I took what I had and I got on the next plane to New York City and I promised myself that I would never return to this world, because all it had brought was death and heartbreak. That's where I've been for the last fifteen years."

"I told you all of this Harry, because I want you to understand how sorry I am." Her voice wavered with emotion. "I should have stayed. I should have bought the house right next door and stayed next to you and made sure that you got all the love that Lily and James would have given you. I'm sorry, Harry."

"How could you just leave them like that?" said Harry, bright green eyes full of righteous anger. "If they were your friends, how could you do that?"

"Because I'm very old, Harry. I've lived hundreds of years and I've watched my friends die before," She said quietly. "And that's the only way I can remember them now. I don't remember the laughter or the joy. All I see are their broken, lifeless bodies. I didn't want Lily and James to be remembered that way."

She and Harry sat there for around ten minutes, neither one of them saying a word. They watched the spray of the fountain, feeling the breeze tousle their hair.

"You would have raised me?" Harry's voice was thick and he looked very much the small child that had just wanted to be loved like everyone else.

"Yes, I would have." Ellen reached out and squeezed the boy's hand. "I loved you so much when you were a baby. We were family back then. Mum, Dad, Uncle Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail, and Aunt Ellen."

Harry squeezed her hand back tightly and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Are you okay, Harry?"

"No." he said, pulling away from her somewhat. "Everyone here has been keeping things from me while I've been cooped up at Privet Drive for the past month and now that I'm here they expect me to be alright with it."

Ellen rubbed his arm soothingly. "That's completely understandable. What happened in that graveyard, that was only a few months ago and something like that is traumatizing, and they all need to understand that. It's okay that you're angry."

Harry said nothing else, just stared down into the water. With a wave of Ellen's hand, a variety of colorful koi fish appeared, swimming around the two's dangling feet. "Where are we?" He finally asked. "I've never seen a place like this before."

"This is Noah's Ark," Ellen smiled, "It was home to the whole Clan of Noah at one point in time. Now I'm the only one that can control it. The others couldn't get in if they wanted to."

"You can come here whenever you want?" Harry looked over at her. She nodded, kicking her keet in the water. "Why didn't you use this to get me from the Dursley's?"

Ellen sighed loudly. "Despite what Moody will tell you, I can't open a gate to a place that I've never been before. Granted, I've traveled most of the world during my years so I'm not _too_ limited. But now that I've been there it shouldn't be a problem."

They sat there in silence, enjoying the warm breeze and each other's presence. Ellen sighed deeply. "Harry?"

"Hm?"

"I want to give you something, but you can not let anyone know about it. Not Molly, not Ron and Hermione, no one."

Harry stared at her with those bright, bright eyes of his and she steeled herself for what she was about to do. She held out her hand and focused, watching as a woven silver ring came together in the palm of her hand. Lifting it up to her lips, she whispered the words of the Musician's song. The notes formed little bumps all along the ring in a similar way to the code she and Mana had made.

The ring glowed with a blinding white light before it finally dimmed, gleaming silver in the sunlight. Ellen held it out to the boy, her face betraying her nerves. "It's a key to the Ark." She murmured as he took it from her, rolling it in his fingers. "I mean, not really the whole Ark. In case you're ever in danger it should take you to the Fourteenth's room and you can stay there until I come retrieve you. I wasn't there for you before, but I'm here now and I promise that I'm not leaving."

"Er, how does it work?" asked Harry awkwardly, still rolling it around.

"You twist it three times to the left and say the code to unlock it." Ellen grimaced but continued. "I'm only going to say this to you once and only once because it is a dangerous word and it could cause a lot of pain and suffering if the wrong person got a hold of it."

She motioned for him to lean in and spoke so quietly that he almost couldn't hear her. "The code is _Neah_."

Ellen moved away from him quickly and began to put her socks and boots on again, her feet miraculously dry. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Harry slid the ring into his front pocket. He quietly slipped his shoes and socks on as well and stood, standing there as if he was unsure of what to do next.

With a quick wave of her hand, another shining gate opened. Harry walked over to it without saying a word and climbed out with one last look at the Noah. She sighed deeply before closing the gate, leaving her alone in the vast world of the Ark.

Giving Harry the ring had certainly been intense, but it was worth possibly alienating him. All Ellen could hope for was that he kept the ring a secret until he truly needed it. She trusted the Order with a lot of stuff, but the thought of them entering the Ark made her shudder in disgust. This wasn't a place for wizards and magic. The Ark ran off of ancient Dark Matter, giving her the ability to hide it. As of that moment, the Ark was currently anchored deep in a cave at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. It was the only way that she could ensure no human would find it. She rubbed her eyes roughly, staring out into nothing. It had been so hard to talk about her friends again. She hadn't thought that it would hurt as much as it did, like pouring salt into wounds she thought had healed. And Harry...

The child that she had loved so much looked so scared and angry. He looked like he couldn't trust anyone, even the ones that care about him. But, she reminded herself, Harry was not a child anymore. He was growing into an adult and she had to treat him like one.

 _Snap!_

With the crack of her fingers, all that she had built for their talk disintegrated and floated away like dust in the wind. She shook herself roughly, forcing out all of the soft emotions she had been filled with for the past few days. It wouldn't do anyone any good for her to wallow in sorrow and self pity any longer.

Ellen looked down at her left arm as she had that morning, rubbing along the scaled skin. There was war coming and this time she would be ready.

Her arm glowed a dark purple, Dark Matter perversely flowing where Innocence once lay. She reached out to a column laying on it's side and gently rested her hand on it. The stone made a loud creaking noise before collapsing in on itself, nothing left behind but dust. A twisted smile made its way onto her face as she embraced the power of the Fourteenth for the first time in fifteen years. Voldemort and all of his followers would face justice for the world that they created. They had killed and maimed and taken parents away from children who had done nothing to deserve it.

With bright yellow eyes she opened another gate and stepped back into her room at Grimmauld Place. Her head hit the pillow and she was asleep soon, her dreams filled with vengeance and the power of the Destruction of Noah.

* * *

 **This is definitely more a filler chapter, just to give some background on why Ellen cares so much about Harry when he doesn't even know who she is. Y'all get two chapters in one day this week, but the next one will be up next Monday :)**


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning found her waking at the loud crack of the twins landing in her room. Before she could even think about it she had thrown a hex their way, forcing them to duck to the floor.

"Blimey, Ellen!" One of them (maybe George?) exclaimed. "What was that for?"

She glared at them sleepily. "You startled me."

"Oh. Right." The other elbowed his brother. "Well, er, Mum sent us to tell you that your breakfast is downstairs if you want it and she needs help in the other drawing room. There are more doxies than she thought."

They disappeared with a loud crack. Ellen groaned and pulled herself out of bed and through her morning routine. After half an hour she had finished her breakfast and walked into the drawing room to a rather peculiar sight. Molly, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins were grouped together with tied cloths over their noses and mouths. Each of them were also holding a large bottle of black liquid with a nozzle at the end.

"Cover your faces and take a spray," Molly said to Harry and Ron as they walked in behind Ellen, pointing to three more bottles of black liquid standing on a spindle-legged table. "It's Doxycide. I've never seen an infestation this bad.."

The clean green curtains were buzzing dangerously, reminding Ellen of the Teez that had followed her around so loyally in her youth. "Right, you lot, you need to be careful, because doxies bite and their teeth are poisonous. I've got a bottle of antidote here, but I'd rather nobody needed it." Molly called out.

She straightened up, positioned herself squarely in front of the curtains, and beckoned them all forward.

"When I say the word, start spraying immediately," she said. "They'll come flying out at us, I expect, but it says on the sprays one good squirt will paralyze them. When they're immobilized, just throw them in this bucket."

She stepped carefully out of their line of fire and raised her own spray. "All right — squirt!"

The group had been spraying only a few seconds when a fully grown doxy came soaring out of a fold in the material, shiny beetlelike wings whirring, tiny needle-sharp teeth bared, its fairylike body covered with thick black hair and its four tiny fists clenched with fury. It stopped dead in its tracks when it laid eyes on Ellen, flying up to rest on top of the bottle she was holding.

Ellen smiled softly and rubbed the rough fur of its tiny head. "What are you doing here?" She cooed at it, the doxy buzzing happily under her attention. "You can't go attacking the wizards, it's very rude."

The doxy's antennae drooped at the criticism, forcing a small giggle out of Ellen. She ushered the small creature into her front pocket and patted it gently with an order to stay there. She turned back to the others just in time to hear Molly scolding one of her brood.

"Fred, what are you doing?" Molly was saying sharply. "Spray that at once and throw it away!"

She looked over to where the boy was holding a struggling doxy between his forefinger and thumb. "Right-o," Fred said brightly, spraying the doxy quickly in the face so that it fainted, but the moment Molly's back was turned he pocketed it with a wink.

The de-doxying of the curtains took most of the morning. It was past midday when Molly finally removed her protective scarf. The curtains were no longer buzzing; they hung limp and damp from the intensive spraying; unconscious doxies lay crammed in the bucket at the foot of them beside a bowl of their black eggs, at which an ugly orange cat was sniffing and Fred and George were shooting covetous looks.

The clanging doorbell rang suddenly, setting off Mrs. Black's portrait downstairs. Molly immediately rushed off to deal with it, leaving them all alone with the promise of lunch when she returned. The teens peeked out the window, remarking about Mundungus' abundance of cauldrons.

Ellen gently pulled at the twins' shirts to catch their attention. She jerked her head at the pile of doxies and eggs. "Go on, take them while Molly is occupied. I'll just tell her I got rid of them."

They blinked in shock before quickly grabbing the items and vanishing from the room with a loud crack. Ellen just smiled and pet the doxy that refused to move from her front pocket.

At that precise moment there was an explosion of sound from downstairs. All of them could hear Molly shouting at the top of her voice. "WE ARE NOT RUNNING A HIDEOUT FOR STOLEN GOODS!"

"I love hearing Mum shouting at someone else," said Fred, with a satisfied smile on his face as he and his twin appeared back in the room. "It makes such a nice change."

"— COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, AS IF WE HAVEN'T GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU DRAGGING STOLEN CAULDRONS INTO THE HOUSE —"

Ellen rolled her eyes and made for the door. "I'm going to go stop her from killing Mundungus. You lot just do..whatever kids your age do." She quickly moved down the stairs and into the kitchen where Molly had dragged the portly man.

Said witch was still screaming, pointing to the pile of cauldrons that were strewn across the floor and the portrait was shrieking nonsense down the hall. Ellen slammed the door loudly, catching everyone's attention. "What the bloody hell is going on down here? Are you completely daft Mundungus?"

Mundungus began to stutter out excuses. "Someone was willing to buy 'em back orf me for twice what 'e wouldsta paid in the first place!"

"That doesn't mean you can bring them here, you dolt!" Ellen resisted the urge to wrap her hands around his neck. "What if someone came looking for you and saw you disappear here?"

He sputtered and turned red, running out of things to say. "She paid me to bring 'em 'ere. Said ta bring 'em straight to the Walker girl."

Ellen stopped in her tracks and whipped her wand out of her boot, pressing it under his chin. Her voice was deadly quiet and calm. "What was her name?"

"She didn't give me no name," Mundungus said quickly. "Tiny li'l thing she was, mustn't of been older than a firs' year."

"Is there anything else she gave you?" She asked, a deep sense of dread filling her. The man squirmed uncomfortably as she pressed the wand against him hard when he didn't answer.

"Gave me a letter for some bloke named Allen. Don't 'spose you know 'im, do you?"

All the color drained from her face and she felt her knees go weak. Ellen pulled her wand away from him and sat heavily in the nearest chair, focusing on breathing. "Get out of here before I do something I regret."

Mundungus sputtered but obeyed her, not before setting the accursed letter next to her on the table. At her glare he jumped and all but ran out of Grimmauld Place. She picked the letter up and stared at it, taking in the familiar writing on the front.

Molly leaned over her, putting her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"The others are here." Ellen said quietly. "They're here in London and they know that I'm close by. This letter, it's from the Ninth. She could possibly bypass the Fidelius with her gift. We need to alert Albus, now."

She watched Molly's eyes widen in horror. "I'll handle it, you just feed the kids. Let Sirius know that I need to speak with him when you get up there."

The woman quickly made a plate of sandwiches and drinks for the children and hurried out of the room, taking one last glance at the distraught Noah. Ellen gripped her wand tightly, breathing out the spell she could barely use. " _Expecto Patronum._ "

A glowing white butterfly balanced on the tip of the wand, it's wings fluttering softly. She reached out and stroked one delicate wing with her fingertip, smiling as it climbed on off the wand. "Go to Albus Dumbledore. Tell him that the Clan has found us."

The Patronus fluttered quickly out of the room, passing by Sirius's head as he walked in. She leapt up out of her chair and wrapped her shaking arms tightly around him. He pulled her close, murmuring reassurances and sweet words.

"They found me Paddy." she whispered against his chest. "They know where we are."

Her friend sat her down, rubbing her arm as she clung to him. "T-they sent me a letter through Mundungus. They've been watching long enough to know where I am and who I'm in contact with. I've only been here for three days. How can they have found me?"

Sirius just pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm not going to let them get to you. I don't care how powerful they are, no one is taking my sister away."

"I love you Sirius." Ellen pressed her face into his chest. She stayed like that for a while, listening to the steady beat of his heart, the gentle in and out of his breathing. Bit by bit she pulled herself back together until she was able to reach out and pull the letter towards them.

She rubbed her thumb across the smooth ink spelling out her real name. Flipping it over, she delicately tore the wax seal and pulled the thick parchment of the letter from the envelope. Her hands were still shaking as she read the words written carefully across the page.

 _Dearest Allen,_

 _It's very rude to hide from your family. We've been looking for you for such a long time and here you are, back in London. We're watching your little hideout as you're reading this. Don't worry, we won't hurt your pet humans as long as you work with us. You have until the end of this year to rejoin the Clan or we will be forced to kill every single one of them. This is your choice. See you soon, Allen._

 _Love, Rhode_

Ellen set the letter down softly, screwing her eyes shut. "I have to go to them." She said, trying to stand while Sirius held her still. "Sirius, they'll kill all of you. You don't get it, they're stronger than I am. This isn't something that we can win."

He pulled her back down and turned her to look him in the eyes. "We have until December to figure this out. You don't have to do this alone anymore."

"I need to be alone right now." She jerked out of his arms and opened an Ark gate. "I'll come back, I promise."

* * *

The gate slammed behind her with a resounding thud, echoing in the emptiness of the atrium. It was a beautiful place, bright green grass and lovely flowers planted all throughout. Stone benches lined the edges of the atrium and there was a deep blue pond resting at the north side, elegant koi swimming in its depths.

She stormed over to the grassy area next to the pond and laid down. Gazing up into the bright blue sky, she frowned. With a wave of her hand dark storm clouds began appeared and rain began to fall, soaking her and everything else in the Ark.

Ellen laughed to herself. "And so God set upon the world a great flood.."

The rain poured down viciously, never slowing. Ellen lay there in the same position, her eyes closed to feel the rain fall over her skin. Completely numb to the passage of time, she was soaked to the bone yet she felt no cold or discomfort.

If only she could stay that way forever, slowly letting the rain purify her tainted existence. It was all her fault, after all. She had brought danger to the Order, a danger that they couldn't hope to fight.

Voldemort may be strong and have great magical powers, but even he wouldn't stand for long against one of the older Noah. Tyki and Sheril may not have been awakened for as long as Rhode, but their memories were just as old and just as strong. They could do things that Ellen couldn't even dream of, control their abilities with such finesse that it was like they had been born with them. They were ancient and powerful and everything she was not.

She wasn't strong enough to stop them. But, she asked herself, would she even want to?

There had been a time when she'd truly considered them family. For two blissful years, they had been everything she had ever wanted in life. She'd found love of every kind in their arms. She had been willing to cast the world into darkness if it just meant that she could stay with them forever.

But things had changed. She could still see it now, the pouring rain falling on her skin as she stood over the corpse of Adam. The war had been won, the akuma all destroyed the second the Earl took his last breath. She remembered looking up, nodding to her beloved. He had grasped the Heart of Innocence in his hand and with one final squeeze, destroyed it. Fine green dust had spilled out of his hand, his face filled with joy as he walked to her.

Then she had felt herself breaking. Crown Clown, her beautiful Innocence that had been with her from the day she was born began to shatter. She could _hear_ it dying, its terror filling her mind. She'd looked down at her hand to see the glowing green crystal dull. Her Innocence gave one last wail in her mind, and then the crystal shattered. It had felt like she was dying. Everything in her felt so empty and it had all been _his_ fault. He had reached for her to pull her into a loving embrace but she couldn't stand to touch him. He had killed her Clown Crown, he had killed a part of her.

She'd screamed and wailed at him, throwing everything she had in his face. Never once noticing the yellow hue of her eyes, the dead gray color of her skin. She'd stopped dead in her tracks when she felt the Dark Matter flowing through her left arm, filling the empty spaces Innocence had left.

Pure horror had filled her and she did what she would soon do best. She ran far, far away from all of them. Never to be found or loved, never to trust another person with her heart as she had _him_.

Thunder crashed loudly, sending her eyes flying open.

Ellen sat up, brushing her wet hair from her face. With a deep sigh, she lightened the rain to a gentle drizzle. There was no need to flood the Ark when she wasn't even around. She walked out of the atrium to a empty, covered room and dried herself off with a few charms.

Opening the gate without really thinking, she stepped out high above the kitchen chairs and landed in Albus's lap. Her friend let out a loud 'oof!' and winced. She was startled for a second before she stared at him seriously. "I want a pony for Christmas."

Her old friend chuckled deeply as she slid off of him and into the seat next to him, the kitchen empty except for them. "You've been gone a while, Ellen."

"It can't have been more than a few hours." She snorted.

Albus stared at her oddly, almost as if he was concerned. "It's over a week, my dear."

Her jaw dropped in disbelief. She had lost track of time before, drifting away for hours but never for that many days. "I-I'm sorry Albus. I wasn't even aware that I was in the Ark for that long..."

"No worries, I'm just glad that you're safe. I feared the worst when you did not return at the end of the first day." Dumbledore removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Sirius gave me the letter that you received. The contents are...troubling to say the least."

"I know." Ellen ran her fingers through her hair. "If I go to them, I'll be giving up the life that I've built for myself. But if I stay, who knows who they'll kill to get to me."

Albus hesitated, looking almost frightened to say what he was going to. "Ellen, I have to ask.. Do you believe that they would join Voldemort in their quest?"

She jerked back. "No! I know them Albus. They can be monsters and I've seen them do truly evil things, but they would never resort to asking a human for help. Much less one that has tried to murder one of their own. No, they're a threat all of their own."

"Would they be an asset to the Order?" asked Albus, ignoring her outraged look.

"If they weren't so _them_ , I would say yes." Ellen said. "The powers that they have are extraordinary, and their control of them even more so. But they're very unpredictable and more dangerous than anything we could face. I don't know if we would ever be able to fully trust them."

Albus nodded in agreement. "Nonetheless, you will be safe at Hogwarts. No one can get through the wards surrounding the castle."

She reached out and grabbed one of his wrinkled hands with her own smooth ones. "I'm so sorry about this Albus. I know how stressful things are and I've just added to it. You've got Harry's trial to worry about and I've heard what the Prophet is doing..."

Ellen trailed off in confusion when her friend laughed. "Harry's trial was a few days ago." Albus smiled at her. "Not even the Wizengamot could find him guilty."

Elation filled her as she heard the news. She hugged Albus tightly before running out of the room and up the stairs to Harry's room. Ellen pounded loudly on the door and all but launched herself at the boy when he opened it.

"Oh Harry, I'm so happy for you!" She cupped his face, slightly squishing his cheeks. "I knew those twats wouldn't have anything on you."

"Er, thanks?" Harry said slowly extracting himself from her grip.

It was all she could do from blushing as she remembered that they had only really spoken once. The boy didn't know her. She patted him awkwardly on the shoulder before stepping back. "Right then. Sorry, I just got a bit excited. Been gone for a few days and I just heard the news."

Harry stepped out into the hallway with her, shutting the door behind him. "Were you in the, um," he lowered his voice, "the Ark?"

She nodded in response, looking down to see that Harry was wearing the ring she had made him on his right hand. "I lost track of time." Ellen admitted. "When you've been alive as long as I have, a days can seem like hours if you don't pay attention. I honestly thought I was only there for an hour or so."

"Hermione and Ginny were really worried about you. Mrs. Weasley too, she wouldn't really say it but you could tell." Harry said. "I almost went after you, but the place is so big and I wasn't sure you were there."

Ellen smiled widely. "You don't ever need to worry about me. I'm much tougher than I look."

Harry looked her up and down in all of her short, pixie-like glory. The look he gave her was filled with so much _sass_ that she could have sworn she was standing with James Potter. Her heart twisted painfully for a second before she pushed the feeling away, reaching out to swat Harry on the back of the head. "I'll not be taking any lip from you, Harry Potter!"

He smiled at her mischievously and she couldn't help but grin back. "C'mon," she jerked her head to the side. "I found something the other morning, meant to give it to you that night but then the whole Ark mess happened."

She led him up another flight of stairs and they walked quietly past Hermione and Ginny's room and into Ellen's. Harry watched as the Noah pulled out a worn duffel bag and zipped it open. She stuck her arm all the way in, feeling around for something.

"Oh, for the love of! Harry, could you be a dear and come help?" He walked over to her slowly. "Alright, can you grab hold of my ankle and don't let go? It must have drifted further down."

With that she threw her whole body into the bag, Harry barely having time to grab her thin ankle. He could hear her muttering the whole time, cursing everything in the bag. "I've got it!" She yelled. "Pull me up!"

Harry yanked hard on her ankle and she came flying out of the bag, clutching a folded up photograph in her hands. She dusted herself off and grinned at him. "Got about fifty years worth of junk in there. Here you go!"

Harry gripped the worn photograph in his hands, gazing down at the faces below. "Original Order of the Phoenix," Ellen said softly. "I found it when I was searching for my wand holster yesterday, and well, I thought you might want to see it."

"There's good ole Mad-Eye," she said, pointing at the grizzled wizard. The Moody in the picture was unmistakable, though his hair was slightly less gray and his nose was intact. "And there's Albus beside him, Dedalus Diggle on the other side... That's Marlene McKinnon, Frank and Alice Longbottom..."

"They didn't deserve what happened to them..." Ellen's face was filled with pain as the image of her friends waved up at her. "and that's Emmeline Vance, she was supposed to be a part of the Advance Guard, and there's Remus and I..."

Harry blinked at the image of his old professor and the girl standing next to him. Remus looked so much younger and there was joy in this face as Ellen clung to his back. The Ellen in the picture waved out at them before pressing a firm kiss to the werewolf's cheek. Harry looked over at her, but she kept talking as if she didn't see anything.

"...that's Benjy Fenwick, oi, move over," she added, poking the picture, and the little photographic people edged sideways, so that those who were partially obscured could move to the front.

"That's Edgar Bones...brother of Amelia Bones, he was a great wizard...Sturgis Podmore, Caradoc Dearborn...there's Hagrid, of course, has such a kind heart, that one...Elphias Doge, you've met him, I'd forgotten he used to wear that stupid hat...Gideon and Fabian Prewett, keep moving, keep moving..."

The little people in the photograph jostled among themselves, and those hidden right at the back appeared at the forefront of the picture. "That's Albus's brother, Aberforth, he's always been an interesting fellow, must run in the family...That's Dorcas Meadowes...Sirius, oh, I forgot what he looked like with short hair, and... there you go, thought you might like this!"

She watched Harry look down at the picture, examining every detail. His mother and father were beaming up at him, sitting on either side of a small, watery-eyed man she recognized at once as Wormtail. "Wormy was a nasty git and a traitor. I'd blast him out of the picture if I knew how."

Harry didn't say a word, just kept staring down at the picture. He shot up suddenly. "I've got to go, I forgot to pack my, er.."

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Sirius walked it, saving him from whatever excuse he was about to make. "So you're finally back." His godfather stared Ellen down. Harry slipped out the room behind him, moving like the bats of hell were chasing him. Ellen threw herself back onto the bed, hiding her face with a pillow. "I didn't mean to leave for so long. Time moves differently in the Ark."

Sirius sat down next to her, yanking the pillow away from her. "You do know that tomorrow is the 12th, right?"

"What?" She shot up. "No! I haven't even gotten my uniform yet, oh my god, I haven't even packed!"

She whipped her wand out in a panic and quickly began summoning everything into her duffel bag. Shoes and hangers were flying every way, clothes trying to fold themselves in the air. Sirius sat there laughing at her, ducking when something came flying over his head.

"Don't worry, Dumbledore got a few uniforms for you. They're in that package on your desk." He laughed again as she all but lunged for the package. Ellen ripped it open and set everything out on her bed. It was everything that she would need. All of her schoolbooks, shirts, skirts, different types of sweaters, appropriate shoes and socks, school robes, even a heavy cloak that she would need for winter.

Ellen ran her hand over everything before she frowned. "How did Albus know what size to get me?"

"Probably just told them to get the average size of a third year." Sirius dodged the shoe she threw at him. "Not your fault that you're titchy."

"Rude." She sniffed. "You wouldn't be so tall if you'd stopped aging at 16."

"Yeah." Sirius's eyes softened. "I'd forgotten how young you look.. Didn't really notice back then, I guess."

Ellen threw a school robe in his face. "Hey, stop that. I'm not going to let you feel bad about something that you have absolutely no control over. Besides," she continued, "It's coming in handy. I'll get to keep Harry safe, even if I have to refer to myself as a Beast."

"That's always bothered you, hasn't it?" Sirius tossed the robe back to her. "The whole Beast thing."

She sighed and turned away from him. "It's frustrating. Noah have never been treated like they were human for as long as I've been alive. Back then they were monsters, something that had left humanity behind. So when the war was done, I left and I lived like any other person would. Then I find this world and I'm told that again, I'm not a human. No, your Ministry doesn't believe that something like me has the bloody intelligence to understand your laws, just because there aren't enough of us to really fight it. I'm a human. I was born a human, raised a human, and I've lived as a human. It's demeaning to constantly be told that I'm not one."

"Even when I had Innocence, they didn't see me as a person. I was a demon, I was cursed." Her black, clawed hand clenched in a fist. "All of this for something that I never chose. I didn't choose to be born with Innocence. I didn't choose to be the host of a Noah. None of this was something I would have wanted for myself."

The pair let silence fall over them, only the sound of Ellen's packing filling the air. Sirius watched her as she began stripping the room of all personal touches. She vanished everything she had conjured minus the bed. The wardrobe returned to its original color, even the wallpaper dulled back to the original gray

The doxy that had attached itself to her the other afternoon flew out of the bag, landing in her hair. Ellen giggled lightly and pulled it off, cradling it in her hands. Sirius raised an eyebrow at her. "Why do those things like you so much?"

"They have traces of Dark Matter in them," Ellen explained, stroking the creature's rough fur. "Not as much as the first generation, but there's still enough that they recognize the Noah and are drawn to us. They're part Teez, you see. Joyd caught a few of his Teez with faeries of all things and when they gave birth, this was the result. I guess they just grew from there."

She allowed the doxy to crawl back into her pocket, the thing purring in contentment. Settling down next to Sirius, she leaned against him. The wizard wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "I'm going to miss you." She said softly.

"I told you, I'm not going anywhere." Sirius promised.

"You've still got the key I gave you, don't you?"

Sirius nodded, pulling the ring out from where it hung around his neck on a chain. She took it from him and slid it back onto his right hand. "I want you to actually use it this time." She grasped his hand in hers. "I want you to promise me that you won't try to be the hero. If anything goes wrong I want you to get the hell out of there. You can't do anyone any good if you're dead."

He said nothing in response, just stared down at the ring. Ellen sighed and shoved him away. "At least consider it. Now get out, I have to get to sleep now if I'm going to be able to wake up on time tomorrow."

Her friend quietly left and closed the door behind him. With a flick of her wand, all the lights in her room went out and she was quickly shrouded in darkness. Ellen blinked once, twice, and then she was fast asleep.

* * *

 **We're getting so close to Hogwarts! I'm excited!**


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning found Ellen being jerked awake by the sound of Molly's voice. "WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Molly bellowed. Ellen jumped up and grabbed her duffel bag, quickly performing all the hygienic charms that she knew to make herself presentable. She scooped the doxy into her pocket and stormed down the stairs where the others were standing.

Mrs. Black's portrait was howling with rage but nobody was bothering to close the curtains over her; all the noise in the hall was bound to rouse her again anyway.

"Harry, Ellen, you're to come with me and Tonks," Molly shouted to the boy over the repeated screeches of "MUDBLOODS ! SCUM! CREATURES OF DIRT!"

"Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor's going to deal with the luggage...Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!"

A bearlike black dog had appeared at Harry's side as he climbed over all the trunks that were cluttering the hallway. Ellen grinned widely at the dog, reaching down to ruffle the hair on it's head.

"Oh honestly," said Molly despairingly, "well, then it's on your own head if you get caught!" She wrenched open the front door and stepped out into the weak September sunlight with Harry, Ellen, and Sirius following suit. The door slammed behind them and Mrs. Black's screeches were cut off instantly.

"Where's Tonks?" Ellen heard Harry ask as they walked down the stairs. Her eyes were busy scanning up and down the road looking for any sign of the other Noah. She sighed in relief when she spotted nothing.

"She's waiting for us just up here," said Molly stiffly, averting her eyes from the prancing black dog. An old woman greeted them on the corner. She had tightly curled gray hair and wore a purple hat shaped like a porkpie.

"Wotcher, Harry," she said to the boy, winking. "Better hurry up, shouldn't we?"

"I know, I know," moaned Molly, speeding up to walk next to the younger witch, "but Mad-Eye wanted to wait for Sturgis.. If only Arthur could have got us cars from the Ministry again, but Fudge wouldn't let him borrow so much as an empty ink bottle these days. How Muggles can stand traveling without magic..."

Her voice trailed off as she walked ahead of the group. Ellen and Harry laughed as Sirius gave a joyful bark and gamboled around them, snapping at pigeons, and chasing his own tail. The pair found great joy in picking up a larger stick from the side of the pavement and tossing it ahead of them, watching the dog race to catch it.

It took them twenty minutes to reach King's Cross by foot, lucky that they had not had a single incident. Once inside the station the group casually lingered next to the barrier between platforms nine and ten until the coast was clear, then each of them leaned against it in turn and fell easily through onto platform nine and three quarters, where the Hogwarts Express stood gleaming next to the platform packed with departing students and their families.

"I hope the others make it in time," said Molly anxiously.

Moody came limping through the archway pushing a cart full of their trunks not more than a second later, a porter's cap pulled low over his mismatched eyes. "All okay," he muttered to Molly and Tonks. "Don't think we were followed.."

Seconds later, Arthur burst through with Ron and Hermione directly behind him. The group busied themselves with unloading the luggage carts, everyone giving a collective sigh of relief when Fred, George, and Ginny turned up with Remus.

"No trouble?" Moody asked gruffly, tugging his cap further down.

"Nothing," said Remus. Ellen looked over at him as to make eye contact, but he avoided her gaze easily.

"I'll still be reporting Sturgis to Dumbledore," said Moody. "That's the second time he's not turned up in a week. Getting as unreliable as Mundungus."

"Well, look after yourselves," said Remus, shaking hands all round, clapping Harry on the shoulder with words of advice. He hesitated in front of Ellen before settling for a stiff hug, neither one looking at each other. Well wishes and goodbyes filled the air as everyone left.

A warning whistle sounded; the students still on the platform started hurrying onto the train.

"Quick, quick," said Molly distractedly, hugging them at random. "Write...Be good...If you've forgotten anything we'll send it on...Onto the train, now, hurry..."

For one brief moment, the great black dog reared onto its hind legs and placed its front paws on Harry's shoulders, but Molly shoved Harry away toward the train door hissing, "For heaven's sake act more like a dog, Sirius!"

Harry hollered out a goodbye, the other children waving out the windows. Ellen watched as the figures of Tonks, Remus, Moody, and Arthur and Molly shrank rapidly but the black dog was bounding alongside the window, wagging its tail; blurred people on the platform were laughing to see it chasing the train, and then they turned the corner, and Sirius was gone.

"He shouldn't have come with us," said Hermione in a worried voice.

"Oh lighten up," Ron rolled his eyes jokingly, "he hasn't seen daylight for months, poor bloke."

The twins quickly excused themselves, vanishing with the friend they had caught up with on the platform. The train was gathering still more speed, the world outside warping to a quick blur before their very eyes.

"Shall we go and find a compartment, then?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione, Ellen hovering behind him.

The pair exchanged uneasy looks "Er," Ron looked uncomfortable, his ears turning a bright shade of pink.

"We're — well — Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said awkwardly. Ron was steadily avoiding making eye contact with his friend, staring down at his fingernails as if they were the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.

"Oh," Harry's voice was tight. "Right. Fine."

"I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey," said Hermione quickly. "Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."

"Fine," said Harry again. "Well, I-I might see you later, then."

"Yeah, definitely," said Ron, casting a shifty, anxious look at Harry. "It's a pain having to go down there, I'd rather — but we have to — I mean, I'm not enjoying it, I'm not Percy," he finished defiantly.

"I know you're not," Harry grinned at him. But as they walked away, his expression fell to something sad and disappointed. Ellen reached out and gently grabbed his shoulder.

"Come on," she said, pulling him along next to Ginny, "we might be able to find an empty compartment if we go now."

They shoved their way down the corridor, peering in through the glass-paneled doors into the compartments they passed, which were already full. In the very last carriage they came along a round-faced boy who seemed to be struggling with a toad. Ellen felt her heart twinge as she looked at the spitting image of Alice Longbottom. That had to be their son.

"Hi, Harry," he greeted the two Gryffindors. "Hi, Ginny...Everywhere's full...I can't find a seat..."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny peered into the compartment. "There's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here-"

The other boy mumbled out an excuse about not wanting to disturb anyone, obviously uncomfortable.

"Don't be silly," The ginger girl laughed out, "she's all right." She slid the door open and pulled her trunk inside it, Ellen and the boys filing in behind her.

"Hi, Luna," said Ginny. "Is it okay if we take these seats?"

The girl beside the window looked up. She had straggly, waist length, dirty-blond hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes made her look like she was constantly surprised by something. Ellen smiled at the way she had stuck her wand behind her ear. The girl was reading a magazine upside down and had a necklace of bottle caps gently clacking around. Her eyes ranged over Neville and Ellen before landing on Harry. She nodded.

"Thanks," said Ginny, smiling at her.

They all stowed their luggage above in the luggage rack, Ginny jokingly scowling at Ellen when she simply tossed her duffel bag on top of the heavy trunks. The girl called Luna watched them over her upside-down magazine, which was called The Quibbler. She did not seem to need to blink as much as normal humans. Harry looked distinctly uncomfortable as Luna stared straight at him from where she sat across from him.

"Had a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Luna's voice was dreamy as she spoke, never taking her eyes off Harry. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter," she added.

"I know I am," said Harry. Neville chuckled at Harry's indignation. Luna turned her pale eyes upon him instead. "And I don't know who you are."

"I'm nobody," said Neville hurriedly.

"No you're not," Ginny's tone was sharp. "Neville Longbottom — Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," said Luna in a singsong voice. "I know what you are." She looked pointedly at Ellen.

"You do..?" She asked slowly.

"Oh yes." Luna looked back down at her magazine. "You're a Noah. I can tell by the shadow that follows you. Really quite distinctive."

She raised her upside-down magazine high enough to hide her face and fell silent. Ellen's mouth dropped as she was suddenly very aware of Noah's shadow that drifted across the reflective glass. The boys looked at each other with their eyebrows raised in confusion, Ginny stifling a giggle at their expressions.

The train rattled onward, speeding them out into open country. It was an odd, unsettled sort of day; one moment the carriage was full of sunlight and the next they were passing beneath ominously gray clouds. "Guess what I got for my birthday?" Neville broke the silence.

"Another Remembrall?" asked Harry, frowning at some memory.

"No," said Neville, "I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago...No, look at this..."

The boy dug the hand that wasn't holding his pet toad into his schoolbag and after a little bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small gray cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines.

" _Mimbulus mimbletonia,_ " he said proudly. Ellen felt a sense of dread filling her as she recognized the plant.

"It's really, really rare," Neville continued. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."

"Does it — er — do anything?" Harry asked. She quickly started praying that Neville wasn't about to do what she thought he was.

"Loads of stuff!" said Neville proudly. "It's got an amazing defensive mechanism — hold Trevor for me..." He dumped the toad into Harry's lap and took a quill from his schoolbag.

Neville held the _Mimbulus mimbletonia_ up to his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot, and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill. Ellen threw herself to the floor as liquid squirted from every boil on the plant, thick, stinking, dark green jets of it; they hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered Luna Lovegood's magazine.

Ginny, who had flung her arms up in front of her face just in time, merely looked as though she was wearing a slimy green hat, but Harry, whose hands had been busy preventing the escape of Trevor, received a face full. It smelled like rancid manure. Neville, whose face and torso were also drenched, shook his head to get the worst out of his eyes.

"S-sorry," he gasped. "I haven't tried that before...Didn't realize it would be quite so...Don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, as Harry spat a mouthful onto the floor barely missing Ellen's head.

It was at that moment that the door slid open. "Oh...hello, Harry," said a nervous voice. "Um...bad time?"

A very pretty girl with long, shiny black hair was standing in the doorway smiling at the boy. Ellen eyed her carefully, an oddly protective instinct filling her.

"Oh...hi," Harry said blankly.

"Um," The girl said, her hair falling gently over her shoulder. "Well...just thought I'd say hello...'bye then." She closed the door again, rather pink in the face, and departed. Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned, looking thoroughly embarrassed

"Never mind," said Ginny bracingly. "Look, we can get rid of all this easily." She pulled out her wand. " _Scourgify_!"

The Stinksap vanished without a trace, leaving the compartment as clean as it was when they entered. "Sorry," said Neville again, in a small voice while Ellen settled herself in a seat again

The five spent the next hour conversing and munching on the treats that they had purchased from the food trolley. Ellen was eternally grateful that Albus had thought to warn her to convert her American money into British Wizarding coins. The group was busy trading Chocolate Frog cards among them when the compartment door slid open.

Ron and Hermione walked in, their pets trailing behind them. "I'm starving," said Ron, stowing his tiny next to Harry's, grabbing a Chocolate Frog from Harry and throwing himself into the seat next to him. He bit the head off of the frog and leaned back looking like he'd had a tiring morning.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," Hermione looked thoroughly disgruntled as she sat down next to Ellen. "Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" Ron snarked, his eyes closed.

"Malfoy," Harry sounded like his worst nightmare had just come true.

" 'Course," said Ron bitterly, stuffing the rest of the Frog into his mouth and taking another.

"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione viciously. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll..."

"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," Ron informed the group, "and we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something..."

"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!" Hermione scolded him, tightening her grip on her book.

"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse it at all," said Ron sarcastically.

"So you're going to descend to his level?"

The pair continued to argue back and forth for a moment. Ellen slid her eyes closed and leaned against the window, hoping to get some rest. She could faintly hear the sound of the teens laughing, someone shrieking as though it was the funniest thing they had ever heard. The compartment quieted down for a few minutes and Ellen was almost asleep when the jarring sound of the compartment door opening jerked her awake. She heard Harry snap at someone before she finally opened her eyes.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled the blurry image of a teenage boy. She could see white blonde hair and rather prominent, pointy features as her vision started to focus. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah," Harry said scathingly, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

The group laughed as Ellen rubbed the sleep out of her eyes to see the other boy curl his lip up in anger. "Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" he asked.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermione snapped.

"I seem to have touched a nerve," The boy smirked at them. "Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be _dogging_ your footsteps in case you step out of line."

"Get out!" said Hermione, standing up.

The boy snickered as he finally left, leaving the compartment in an uncomfortable silence. Ellen could see how worried Harry was, but she knew that they couldn't talk freely with so many others around them. She would have to find time to catch them all in the Ark.

The weather remained undecided as they traveled farther and farther north. Rain spattered the windows in a halfhearted way, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before clouds drifted over it once more. When darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up The Quibbler, put it carefully away in her bag, and took to staring at everyone in the compartment instead.

"We'd better change," said Hermione at last. The group quickly changed into their uniforms, the boys excusing themselves to stand outside as the girls undressed. Ellen quickly slid the persistent doxy from Grimmauld Place into her robe pocket, patting it gently. At last the train began to slow down and they could hear people all up and down the train pulling their luggage down in order to depart.

Ron and Hermione disappeared from the carriage with the reasoning that they had to help supervise the whole event, leaving the others in charge of their pets. Ellen managed to wrangle Hermione's evil cat into her arms and stared expectantly at the others.

"I'll carry that owl, if you like," Luna said suddenly, reaching out for the tiny owl as Neville stowed his toad carefully in an inside pocket.

"Oh — er — thanks," Harry handed her the cage and shifted to get a better grip on his own owl's cage. They shuffled out of the compartment feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces as they joined the crowd in the corridor. Slowly they moved toward the doors. The scent of pine filled the air as they stepped down onto the platform.

Harry seemed to be looking around for someone while Ellen struggled to keep a grip on Hermione's demon of a cat. She could faintly hear someone calling the first years to them, but before she could really focus on the voice Crookshanks attempted to escape again.

"Where's Hagrid?" She heard Harry ask. So Hagrid was still at Hogwarts?

"I don't know," said Ginny, "but we'd better get out of the way, we're blocking the door."

"Oh yeah..."

Harry and Ellen became separated from the others as they moved off along the platform and out through the station. Harry kept trying to look around for people, so Ellen firmly gripped his arm with her free hand and began dragging him towards the carriages. They caught up with the others on the dark rain-washed road outside Hogsmeade station.

There were hundreds of carriages waiting, drawn by sets of thestrals. The creatures were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonesque, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each wither — vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Ellen looked over at Harry, filled with sadness as the boy was obviously seeing them for the first time. She opened her mouth to explain everything when Ron interrupted.

"Where's Pig?" Ron's voice called out from behind them.

"That Luna girl was carrying him," Harry turned eagerly towards him. "Where d'you reckon —"

"— Hagrid is? I dunno," said Ron, sounding worried. "He'd better be okay..."

"Rubeus is tough, I'm sure he's fine where ever he is." Ellen reassured them, looking over the crowds for Hermione.

Only seconds later the witch emerged panting from the crowd, a frown on her face. "Malfoy was being absolutely foul to a first year back there, I swear I'm going to report him, he's only had his badge three minutes and he's

using it to bully people worse than ever...Where's Crookshanks?"

"Take him!" Ellen all but shoved the evil ball of orange fur at the girl. "That thing is evil."

"Thanks," Hermione cuddled the beast quickly. "Come on, let's get a carriage together before they all fill up..."

"I haven't got Pig yet!" Ron said, but Hermione and Ellen were already heading off toward the nearest unoccupied coach.

"What are those things, d'you reckon?" Ellen heard Harry say.

"What things?"

"Those horse —"

Their voices faded away as Hermione shut the door, sagging against the musty cushions of the carriage. Ellen smiled tiredly at her. "Rough day?"

"You have no idea." Hermione laughed.

The girls sat quietly and conversed for a minute or two, enjoying the easy atmosphere. The carriage door swung open and Ron squeezed in, owl in tow. Ellen could hear Luna's dreamy voice carrying on.

...don't worry. You're just as sane as I am." The blonde climbed in, followed by a disturbed looking Harry. She tried to catch his attention but he was too busy looking out the window.

"Did everyone see that man with the first years?" asked Ginny. Ellen frowned, trying to recall the voice that she had heard back on the platform.

"What's he doing here? Hagrid can't have left, can he?" Harry sounded concerned.

"I'll be quite glad if he has," said Luna. "He isn't a very good teacher, is he?"

"Yes, he is!" said Harry, Ron, and Ginny angrily.

Harry glared at Hermione; she cleared her throat and quickly said, "Erm...yes...he's very good."

"Well, we think he's a bit of a joke in Ravenclaw," said Luna, unfazed.

"He's a good man, you shouldn't speak ill of him." Ellen snapped, glaring at Luna who seemed completely unbothered by the whole thing.

* * *

Rattling and swaying, the carriages moved in convoy up the road. Hogwarts Castle loomed ever closer: a towering mass of turrets, jet-black against the dark sky, here and there a window blazing fiery bright above them. The carriages jingled to a halt near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors. They all quickly made their way into the hall, Ellen's eyes widening as she took it all in.

The entrance hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast. Ellen was speechless as she took the whole room in. The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another. Luna drifted away from the group to go sit at Ravenclaw's table. All of the Gryffindors quickly found seats at their table, leaving Ellen standing at the entrance alone.

"Miss Walker!" She heard a crisp Scottish voice call her name. Turning around, Ellen was delighted to see Minerva McGonagall. She quickly walked up to the woman, resisting the urge to hug her old friend.

"Minerva, oh it's so nice to see you." Ellen smiled, quickly squeezing the other woman's hand in her own. "Do I need to wait out here?"

"It's good to see you too, love." McGonagall returned her smile. "The first years have just arrived, so you'll be going in after them. Once they've all been sorted Albus will announce the program and you'll come up and be sorted as well."

She nodded firmly, waving goodbye to the other witch as she casually leaned against the wall behind the first years. Her eyes widened as the sound faded around her, only her own heartbeat and a faster heartbeat filling her ears. She quickly scanned the room for Rhode's distinctive navy hair, sighing in relief when she saw nothing. It must have been her nerves getting to her.

It was only a minute more before the doors of the entrance hall opened, the long line of scared-looking first years trailing behind McGonagall who was carrying the Hat and a stool. The doors closed with a thud, the buzz from the Great Hall fading away.

A short while later, when the clapping from inside had faded, the grand doors swung open on their own. Ellen heard Albus's voice calling across the hall. "It is my pleasure to welcome the first recipient of the Creature Outreach Program, Miss Ellen Walker."

Ellen walked down the middle of the hall, keeping her eyes glued to the floor. She had never done well with so many people staring at her, that was part of why she had lived so many years in isolation. Taking a deep breath, she sat down on the stool as the first years had and let Minerva place the Sorting Hat on her head.

 _'So many things I see here...'_ The hat whispered in her ear. _'Such a long life lived, so many different faces you have worn. Difficult, very difficult.'_

"Put me in Gryffindor." she whispered. "Please."

 _'Gryffindor, hmm? Yes, I see bravery, almost to the point of foolishness. To face the Earl himself.. Has to be_ **GRYFFINDOR!** "

Ellen leapt up off the stool, rushing to sit next to Harry and Ron. She grinned widely at the other teens before turning back to face Albus, who was speaking again.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips as he was truly in his element, "welcome! To our old hands — welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate — for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice.

"Excellent," said Ron, with a kind of groan of longing, and he seized the nearest plate of chops and began piling them onto his plate. Ellen laughed and followed suit, piling as many vegetables on top of her chicken as she could. She completely immersed herself in the act of eating, having access to the most amount of food that she'd seen since her days in the Black Order. Even without her Innocence, the Dark Matter in her arm burned away at her energy in a similar way.

When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too."

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door."

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome Professor Mikk, who has come all the way from Castelobruxo to teach Care of Magical Creatures; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Ellen's heart dropped as she slowly looked up at the staff table. Sitting at the very end, staring right at her was Tyki Mikk. All of the color drained out of her face when he smiled at her fondly.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —" He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge.

As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Ellen had ever seen it. Tyki simply looked amused at the whole situation.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome." Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish. Ellen felt the urge to reach into the woman's throat and rip her vocal cords out, one by one. Umbridge gave another little throat clearing cough ("Hem, hem") and continued: "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

Ellen looked around, holding back a laugh at how disgusted all the students looked at the woman. "I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins. Ellen could hear some of the Gryffindor girls making snarky remarks about the woman's clothes.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Ellen distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "Hem, hem" and went on with her speech. "Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."

Ellen narrowed her eyes as she heard the message underneath the flowery words that the toad lady was spewing. Discourage progress? The whole idea reeked of the dictator like control the Vatican had used during the last legs of the Holy War.

The teachers were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste either. "...because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment." Her beady eyes stared Ellen down, almost as if she was trying to intimidate the Noah. "Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though it could be noted that most only brought their hands together twice before stopping, sneers firmly placed on the faces of some. A few students joined in,

but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now — as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held..."

"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," said Hermione in a low voice.

"You're not telling me you enjoyed it?" Ron said quietly, turning a glazed face upon Hermione. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and I grew up with Percy."

"I said illuminating, not enjoyable," said Hermione. "It explained a lot."

"Sure did." Ellen ground out, her fists tightly clenched.

"Did it?" said Harry in surprise. "Sounded like a load of waffle to me."

"There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle," said Hermione grimly.

"Was there?" said Ron blankly.

"How about 'progress for progress's sake must be discouraged'? How about 'pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited'?" Ellen snapped at him. "Those are dangerous ideals for someone in power to have."

"Well, what does that mean?" said Ron impatiently.

"I'll tell you what it means," said Hermione ominously. "It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."

There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the Hall. Hermione jumped up, looking flustered. "Ron, we're supposed to show the first years where to go!"

"Oh yeah," Ron said, obviously having forgotten that it needed to be done. "Hey — hey you lot! Midgets!"

"Ron!"

"Well, they are, they're titchy..."

"I know, but you can't call them midgets...First years!" Hermione called commandingly along the table. "This way, please!"

Ellen smiled at the little ones that crowded around the two before grabbing Harry's arm, pulling him out of the Great Hall. She marched ahead, mowing through all the people who were pointing and whispering about Harry. Her started to speak but she simply shushed him, hurrying up the marble staircase. The pair did not speak until they had reached the end of the corridor to the Gryffindor common room, coming to a halt when they realized that neither one of them knew the password.

"Er.." Harry said glumly, staring up at the portrait of a large woman in a pink satin dress. She frowned down at them.

"No password, no entrance," she said loftily.

"Mimbulus mimbletonia." A deep, accented voice spoke behind them. Ellen stiffened immediately, turning to glare at Tyki. "It would do you well to remember your password. You never know what kind of..threats are lurking in the dark." He motioned vaguely, strolling off before either of them could respond.

"Harry, I know it!" someone panted from behind them, Neville running up to them.

"No need, " Ellen smiled tightly, "A professor helped us out."

The three climbed through the revealed circular hole in the wall leading into the tower. The Gryffindor common room looked as welcoming, a cozy circular tower room full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands before going up to their dormitories.

* * *

Harry and Neville told her goodbye as they made their way up into their room, leaving Ellen standing alone. She looked around awkwardly trying to figure out where to go. Luckily, Hermione walked up only a few moments later, tapping her shoulder to catch her attention.

"Our dormitory's this way." She smiled kindly at Ellen and lead her up the staircase to the left, passing a few doors before walking into the one labelled 'Fifth Year'.

There were four other girls already in the room settling in. Two of them appeared to have already unpacked and were sitting in one bed with the curtains drawn and a Silencing Spell in place. The other two, a pretty curly haired girl and an equally pretty darker skinned girl were unpacking and chattering away at impossible speeds.

Ellen gingerly sat down on the bed next to the curly haired witch, Hermione claiming the one next to her. She jumped slightly when her worn duffel bag appeared on the bed next to her with a slight thud.

She laughed at herself under her breath and set to unpacking. She kicked the trunk open and began to levitate things out of the duffel bag. Slowly her uniform and casual clothes began to flow out, folding themselves before they settled down in the trunk. While things were unpacking themselves Ellen quickly changed into a long sleeved shirt and pajama bottoms before tugging on a thick pair of socks.

Her robe began to struggle on the ground before the doxy popped up from under it, chattering angrily at Ellen. She laughed and scooped it up, conjuring a little nest between her headboard and the wall. The doxy climbed into it quickly and glared at her before falling asleep.

"Why do you have a doxy Ellen?" Hermione looked at her as if she was crazy.

"I told you that they liked me. Damn thing has been following me around since we cleaned the curtains." She rubbed a finger down its back. "I think I'm going to keep it though."

Hermione rolled her eyes before grabbing her things, excusing herself to go shower. Ellen lay there on the bed just staring at the canopy when she heard someone calling her name.

"It's Ellen, right?" The curly haired witch asked. At Ellen's nod she smiled brightly and stuck out her hand. "Lavender, Lavender Brown."

Ellen leaned across and firmly shook the other girl's hand. "It's nice to meet you Lavender."

"So," Lavender started, a bright look in her eyes. "You're really a Beast? No offense, but you look so normal!"

She stiffened slightly at being called a Beast but forced herself to relax. If she was going to survive this mission then she would have to get used to being labeled that way. "I'm a Noah." Ellen said smoothly.

Lavender's eyes widened. "Oh my god, that's so rare! Can you really read minds?"

The dark skinned witch was now leaning over Lavender's bed listening in on their conversation. "No," said Ellen. "That's not one of my gifts, though it would come in handy."

"Why do you look like us if you're a Noah?" The dark skinned girl asked, earning a smack on the arm from Lavender.

"Oh my god, Parvati, you can't just ask people why they look like us!"

Ellen laughed at how utterly normal the two girls were. "No, it's fine! Noah are all born as humans, we only become Noah if a memory chooses us. This is the way I was born."

Lavender twisted one curl around her finger as she looked at Ellen with something akin to amazement. "My mum always told me stories about Noah, aren't there supposed to be more of you?"

"There are." Ellen said, her face suddenly blank. "I'm sorry, it's been a long day and I really do need to get some rest."

She roughly yanked the curtains shut and put a temporary silencing charm around the whole bed. Placing her head between her knees she forced herself to focus on her breathing. In, out, in, out. That was the constant mantra playing in her head.

Tyki was there at Hogwarts. The one place that was supposed to be safe in the entire world suddenly wasn't. Everyone in the castle was in danger beyond what they could imagine.

All she could think was how she could get to Albus. It was his school, he had to know what kind of threat was being posed to his students. The only problem was that she had absolutely no clue where his office was.

Forcing herself to roll over, Ellen screwed her eyes shut tightly. Deep breaths. As she drifted off to sleep she could feel the charm wearing away, revealing the faint sounds of Hermione and Lavender arguing about something. Before she could even begin to wonder what it was, sleep claimed her and all was calm.

* * *

 **I totally just threw a Mean Girls reference in there bc I thought it was funny, no other reason.**


	7. Chapter 7

It was still dark out when Ellen's eyes fluttered open once more. She yawned quietly and stretched her arms out over her head. Peering out from behind the curtains she could see that everyone else in the room was asleep, or at least they appeared to be.

Ellen smiled softly at the sleeping creature above her bed and slowly slipped out to stand on the cold floor. She wiggled her toes with a shiver and opened her trunk to pull out her clothes. Her footsteps were quiet as she snuck out of the room and down to the baths below the common room. The entire lavatory was empty, the early morning light streaming through the windows. It brought her back to her days in the Order, the immense stone castle so similar to the one she had once called home. Ellen went about her business quickly, forcing all thoughts of the past from her mind.

She dried down and dressed in the Hogwarts uniform again, running her hands over the crest sewn into her sweater. In all the years that she had lived, she had never attended school of any kind. It was so exciting, yet terrifying with all the added dangers.

With a loud sigh she gathered her belongings and returned to the dormitory, smiling at the other girls who were now moving around sleepily. She listened to their quiet chatter for a while, just enjoying being around others. She examined her clawed nails in boredom and frowned when she saw that the polish on her right hand had chipped even more than it had when she arrived at Grimmauld Place.

Ellen grabbed her wand and pointed it firmly at her hand. " _Vernis noir!_ " She watched the previous dark polish melt off her fingertips as newer, shinier black varnish covered them. She used a few charms to shape them to match the left, smiling at the result.

"Oh, what was that?" Lavender spoke up next to her. Ellen started slightly when she saw the girl standing so close. Shaking the nerves away, she grinned at the other witch.

"It's a nail polish spell." She wiggled her fingers for emphasis. "There was a French witch that lived across the hall from me in America. She taught me it when she found out that I was being so barbaric as to use muggle nail polish. It's quite useful, not much staying power though."

Lavender squealed and plopped herself down on the bed next to Ellen, holding her nails out expectantly. "Can you do mine?"

"What color do you want?" Ellen toyed with her wand, watching the other girl think.

"I want a bright red!" Lavender said cheerfully, "Princess Diana _always_ has red nails and they look so classy!"

Ellen stared at her for a second and shrugged. " _Vernis rouge vif!_ "

Lavender's nails were quickly polished to a bright cherry red color. The girl squealed and hugged Ellen tightly. "Oh, they look like so cute! Thank you!"

"It's no problem." Ellen smiled gently at her. Lavender flounced away to show her friend, leaving Ellen in blissful silence. She turned to her right where Hermione was getting dressed after finally putting down the book she had been quietly reading.

"Morning." She called out, moving to hang off the side of the bed.

Hermione glanced over at her. "Good morning, Ellen."

"Soooo," Ellen sang out. "Do you think you could maybe show me where Albus's office is today? I've got something that I need to talk to him about but I don't have time to get lost in this damn castle."

The frizzy haired witch agreed and they fell into silence waiting for Hermione to finish getting dressed. As she was tying her shoes on, Ellen finally slid her robe onto her body and let the doxy hop into the deep pocket. She had just finished clasping her wand holster onto her wrist when Hermione walked up next to her. The girls walked out of the dormitory in a pleasant silence.

They came downstairs to spot Harry and Ron across the room, the latter looking rather glum about something. Now that she thought of it, Harry always looked upset in some sort of way. It must be hard on him to have so much riding on his shoulders at his age.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked when they finally caught up to the pair. "You look absolutely- oh, for heaven's sake..."

Ellen looked up to see Hermione glaring at a poster advertising some of the twins' products. She pulled back a grin at the warning in small script at the bottom. Those two certainly were a handful. Ron and Hermione began to bicker back and forth over whether or not they should do something about it while Ellen turned to face Harry.

"You doing alright?" She tried to look reassuring, but Harry just stared blankly and continued to watch his friends argue.

"Because we're prefects!" Hermione snapped as the group finally began to move through the portrait hole. "It's up to us to stop this kind of thing!"

"Anyway, what's up, Harry?" Hermione continued, as they walked down a flight of stairs lined with portraits of old witches and wizards, all of whom ignored them, being engrossed in their own conversation. "You look really angry about something."

"Seamus reckons Harry's lying about You-Know-Who," said Ron succinctly. Ellen frowned at the news. How could people not believe them?

"Yes, Lavender thinks so too," Hermione said gloomily.

"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Harry's voice was loud and angry.

"No," said Hermione calmly, "I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down Ron's and my throats, Harry, because if you haven't noticed, we're on your side."

There was a short pause.

"Sorry," said Harry in a low voice.

"That's quite all right," said Hermione with dignity.

Ellen looked at her oddly. "Lavender actually said those things? Such a shame, she seemed so nice.." The other witch nodded angrily and the four of them continued down the corridor in silence.

By the time that they reached the foot of the marble staircase there was a group of fourth year Ravenclaws crossing into the corridor. The group took one look at Harry and hurried on in a much tighter clump, almost as if they were afraid of him. Said boy only scowled and marched on.

They followed the Ravenclaws into the Great Hall, looking instinctively at the staff table as they entered. Tyki Mikk was sitting at the end of the table chatting away to a blonde which who was staring dreamily at him. Ellen had to force down the stirrings of jealously she felt .

"Dumbledore didn't even mention how long that Mikk guy's staying," Harry mentioned as they finally sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Maybe he didn't want to draw attention to Hagrid not being here." Hermione said pensively, drawing a snort out from the Noah sitting next to her.

"What d'you mean, draw attention to it?" said Ron, half laughing. "How could we not notice?"

She was about to say something to him when the owls began to swoop inside of the Great Hall, delivering packages and the like. Hermione had a newspaper land in front of her and she, Harry, and Ron jumped into a discussion about 'knowing ones enemy' and the like. She thought about joining in but before her mind was made up an envelope was dropped onto her plate, the name _Allen_ written in beautiful script.

Ellen broke the seal with trembling hands and unfolded the letter, brow furrowing as she read the poem inside.

 ** _I wish I could remember the first day,  
_** ** _First hour, first moment of your meeting me;  
_** ** _If bright or dim the season, it might be  
_** ** _Summer or winter for aught I can say._**

 ** _So unrecorded did it slip away,  
_** ** _So blind was I to see and to foresee,  
_** ** _So dull to mark the budding of my tree  
_** ** _That would not blossom yet for many a May._**

 ** _If only I could recollect it! Such  
_** ** _A day of days! I let it come and go  
_** ** _As traceless as a thaw of bygone snow.  
_** ** _It seemed to mean so little, meant so much!_**

 ** _If only now I could recall that touch,  
_** ** _First touch of hand in hand! - Did one but know!_**

 ** _-T_**

The parchment crumbled in her fist as she realized the meaning of the poem. How dare he? She turned furious eyes towards Tyki who was staring at her with a satisfied smirk across her face.

Ellen smiled sweetly and motioned for him to pay attention. _'Fuck you.'_ she mouthed at him across the Great Hall, delight filling her at the angry look that flitted across his face. She defiantly turned away from him and looked down at the schedule Minerva had placed down in front of her.

"Look at today!" groaned Ron. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts... Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day!"

"At least it's not Care of Magical Creatures.." Ellen grumbled. "Doubt I could handle that today too."

Fred and George made their way over after hearing the sound of complaining to offer some of their little tricks. Hermione instantly began arguing with them over their advertisement. Ellen blocked them out, staring dead at Tyki Mikk. The whole hall went quiet, only the sound of their heartbeats echoing in her ears.

Suddenly a smaller, faster heartbeat began from somewhere in the corridor. Ellen jerked her eyes away from Tyki, wildly looking around to find the other Noah that had to be near. She was pulled back into reality as she realized that everyone around her was standing up, Harry staring at her like there was something wrong with her.

Ellen leapt to her feet and walked out of the Great Hall with the three, trying to shake the feeling of being watched. She quickly shoved Tyki's letter into her pocket right next to the snoozing doxy. "Do you know what you want to do after Hogwarts?" She heard Harry ask the other two.

"Not really," said Ron slowly. "Y'know, except, well..." He looked slightly sheepish.

"What?" Harry urged him.

"Well, it'd be cool to be an Auror," Ron's tone was a shallow attempt at sounding casual, the slight shake betraying how he really felt about the subject.

"Yeah, it would," said Harry fervently. He reminded Ellen so much of his father in that moment that she could feel the beginning of a knot forming in her throat. She forced it away quickly, trying to tell herself how proud her friends would be of their son.

"But they're, like, the elite," said Ron. "You've got to be really good. What about you, Hermione?"

"I don't know," said Hermione. "I think I'd really like to do something worthwhile."

"An Auror's worthwhile!" said Harry.

"Yes, it is, but it's not the only worthwhile thing," said Hermione thoughtfully. "I mean, if I could take S.P.E.W. further..."

Ron quickly moved on. "What you think you'll be doing after all this, Ellen?"

"Oh," She jumped slightly. "Er, I'm not really sure. I think Albus is going to have me stick around until you lot graduate, but after that I'll probably just stay in London. Have a chance to be close to Sirius, y'know?"

The boy simply shrugged in response and they spent the rest of their walk to class in complete silence.

* * *

As soon as their Professor began to talk Ellen suddenly understood why Harry and Ron were so dismayed to have him on the first day. Professor Binns was a ghost and he possibly had the most boring voice that Ellen had ever heard. The ghost droned on and on about history that even Ellen found boring, and she had been there for some of it! If this is what school was like, she was glad that she had never been before.

It wasn't long into the lesson that Harry and Ron had both drifted away to sleep and if she was being completely honest, she wished that she could too. Only the persistent presence of Hermione kept her from dozing off, even if she did spend the entire class period doodling all over her parchment. Even as they were leaving, Hermione was shooting them all venomous looks.

"How would it be," she asked them coldly, "if I refused to lend you my notes this year?"

"We'd fail our O.W.L.s," said Ron. "If you want that on your conscience.."

"Well, you'd deserve it," she snapped. "You don't even try to listen to him, do you?"

"We do try," said Ron. "We just haven't got your brains or your memory or your concentration — you're just cleverer than we are — is it nice to rub it in?"

"Oh, don't give me that rubbish," said Hermione. She went to say something else when Ellen gently tugged on her arm.

"Do you think you could take me to Albus's office now since we have some free time?" Her big silver eyes stared up at the witch. "It's really important."

Hermione frowned at her, looking back to the boys. "It's up one staircase and down the corridor to the left. There's a gargoyle statue in front of it."

She thanked the other witched quickly and immediately began sprinting up the stairs. Shoving past all the students that she could, she soon came to a crashing halt in front of a gargoyle statue. That wasn't moving. At all.

 _Passwords_. She groaned loudly. Why did everywhere in this bloody school have to have a password? She just had to figure it out. This was Albus after all, she knew him better than anyone. It wasn't a riddle or it would have already started talking to her... What could it be?

It hit her like a ton of bricks. With a deadpan expression on her face she looked dup at the gargoyle and muttered. "Lemon drops."

The thing leapt aside, revealing a winding staircase. She rushed up it and swung the door open. Her mouth dropped as she took in the room. It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tainted wizard's hat.

Albus was sitting at the desk writing something, completely unbothered by her barging in. She flicked her wand and conjured a stuffed armchair, settling in in heavily.

He looked up from his writing a moment later, confusion written across his face. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes there bloody is!" She snapped at him. "I told you they were dangerous, but do you listen to me? No, why would you do that? Best thing would be to bloody hire one of them!"

"Whatever do you mean, Ellen?" He looked genuinely bewildered, causing all of her righteous anger to flow out of her.

Ellen slumped in her chair and ran a hand over her face. "You really don't know who he is, do you?"

"Are you speaking of Professor Mikk? Because I assure you that he has excellent credentials and has been a great addition to our staff." Albus said.

"Oh my god, you really have no clue." She forced out. "Tyki Mikk is Joyd. He's a Noah and you've given him access to every man, woman, and child in this castle."

His eyes widened and for the first time in a long time, Albus Dumbledore truly looked his age. "What kind of danger are the children in?" He asked quietly, his expression full of self loathing that Ellen had not seen since Gellert's betrayal.

She reached out and grabbed his wrinkled hand in her own smooth one. "All he's done so far is make vague threats and send bloody love poems. I can't decide if he's actually here to hurt anyone or if he's planted himself here to make sure that I follow through with Rhode's demands."

"Ellen, I hired Professor Mikk at the beginning of the summer before I even thought to contact you."

"What?" Ellen all but shrieked. "But, how? Why? Why would he want to teach anyone?"

Albus squeezed her hand tightly. "I was not lying when I said the man had excellent credentials when he applied. He has over five years of experience teaching at Castelobruxo, something that I verified with their Headmistress. Unless he can see into the future, I promise you that he had no way of knowing that you would be here."

"This is why I don't talk to bloody Noahs." She grumbled, taking everything in. "They're the most confusing group of people that I've ever met. Tyki could barely read last time I saw him and now he's a bloody teacher?"

"Ellen, my dear, I know that you said it was dangerous to contact them but now that your Joyd is here, do you believe that he could be persuaded to join the Order?" Albus urged her

Her mouth dropped open and she flinched away from her old friend. "Tyki will never be truly loyal to anyone but his family. He'd sooner rip out Harry's heart if he thought it would be for the best of the Clan." She ran her hands through her tangled hair. "And he isn't the only one here. I'm almost positive that it has to be Rhode, unless there is a new incarnation of Lustol. This is serious."

The old friends sat there insolence, Ellen's words of condemnation echoing in their ears. She could feel every mistake and misstep crashing down around her, every stupid decision that led to this moment. If she had been a little wiser, a little less forgiving, he wouldn't have even survived the Holy War.

"I-I think I can sway him though." Ellen finally forced out. "Do you have a spare Pensieve?"

Albus nodded and turned his wand on a cabinet, the glowing copper bowl floating to sit on the edge of his desk. They both rose to stand in front of it, Ellen taking a deep breath. "What I am going to show you is something that I have never told another person. I beg of you, please don't think any less of me for it."

She took another deep breath and placed her wand on her temple. As she pulled it away several glowing silver threads followed it, settling like water into the bowl. Ellen placed her hand in Albus's and together they leaned into the Pensieve.

* * *

They were falling headfirst into blackness, spinning about until they landed in front of what appeared to be a tiny church. Ellen motioned for him to follow, leading him behind the church to a hillside covered in flowers. Sitting at the edge was a small girl with white hair leaning against a man with long curly purple hair.

She and Albus crept closer until they were standing in front of the couple. "I wish we didn't have to hide," The memory of Ellen snuggled further into her love's side. "I wish we could just leave and find a place where we could be normal and happy."

"I know, _menina_." Tyki pressed a loving kiss on top of her head. "But you know it cannot be. The Earl will find us where ever we go."

"I love you," Ellen whispered to him. "I love you so much, why doesn't that change anything?"

Tyki turned to her and grasped their hands between them. "It changes everything. You can leave the Order behind and join me. I love you."

Her memory's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Tyki..."

"I love you," He repeated, reaching into his pocket. "I want you to be my wife, _menina_. Say you'll marry me."

The white haired girl pounced on him in a hug, whispering yes between every kiss.

* * *

She and Albus stood there for a moment before the memory blurred, landing them outside the same church. Snow was falling all around them in the darkness.

Ellen and Albus stood there for a moment before the doors swung open, the memory of Ellen and Tyki exiting through them. The young exorcist was wrapped in a simple blue gown and coat, her eyes shining as she looked up at her groom.

The groom swept her into his arms, pressing a passionate kiss to her lips. "Lady Allen Mikk. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

"My husband.." Ellen ran her hand down his cheek. "I am yours and you are mine. I love you so very much."

* * *

The memory blurred again as the two raced off in the darkness, laughter echoing around them.

Now they were in a shabby hotel room. The sound was muted but they could see Ellen rubbing her stomach and nodding before being pulled into a loving kiss by her husband. Their faces were filled with wonder as they looked down at where the life they had created was growing.

* * *

It blurred.

This time Ellen was alone in a dark stone room, clutching her rounded stomach and sobbing.

There was blood all over the bed and her lower half. A man with a blonde braid was standing over her completely emotionless, just watching her suffer. The girl wailed in the darkness, having nothing to do but wait until it was over.

* * *

Then they were in a cave somewhere cold. Albus could see Ellen in her exorcist uniform standing with Tyki and a small girl with navy hair. Her face was hard and emotionless as she handed them a bright, glowing green crystal.

"It's the Heart." Ellen said, her voice just above a monotone. "I can feel it."

The small girl took it from her and disappeared with it through a set of floating checkered doors, leaving Ellen and Tyki alone.

"Allen.." Tyki trailed off, eyes saddening at the way she flinched away from him. "Allen, love, you don't have to do this. We can defeat them some other way.

"No." Her voice was full of ice. "I want the Order crushed beneath my feet. They took our baby, Tyki. They killed our Nicholas. I want them all to suffer how I did."

The other Noah pulled her close and kissed the top of her head gently, just as he had done that day on the hill. "Then they will pay in blood, _menina_."

Her face finally softened as she leaned into his embrace. "I want you to be the one to destroy it. The second that bastard Adam takes his last breath and the oh so righteous Order thinks that they have won, I want you to crush it to pieces."

"For you, anything." Tyki hugged her tighter.

* * *

As the scene moved to a destroyed battlefield, Ellen yanked them both out of the Pensieve. She turned away from Albus and sat down in the chair she had conjured again, rubbing her eyes. They both sat there for what felt like forever, soaking in everything that they had just seen.

"I cannot express how sorry I am, Ellen." Albus said quietly, seeing her in a whole new light.

Ellen pressed her lips together thinly. "It was a long time ago, it doesn't hurt as much anymore."

"But," she continued, "I know Tyki. He meant every word of the vows that we made. He'll do anything if he thinks that it will make us a family again."

Albus's eyes softened as he looked at her. "I will not force you to go through that kind of hurt again. You are far too dear to me for me to watch you break your own heart."

"I still love him." She said quietly. "Every beat of my heart is his, but I can't hurt people just because of my selfish desire to be near him."

"Then I leave the decision up to you," Albus stood. "Love is the most precious thing we can experience. Hold it close."

Before she could reply the bell sounded throughout the whole castle. Her eyes widened and she went to grab her bag, relief flooding her when she realized how perfect an excuse she had. "I'm sorry Albus, I've got Potions and you know how much Severus hates me. He'll kill me if I'm late."

The old man chuckled and wrote down something on a piece of parchment. "Give this to Severus if you do not make it there on time."

"Thank you, I'm sorry, I have to go." She moved quickly, waving goodbye to her sprinted across the campus trying to clear her mind before she got to the classroom. She had another mission now, one that could break her in a way no other could.

She came to a screeching halt when she saw the crowd standing in front of Snape's door. She easily spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione and made her way to stand next to them. She was breathing slightly harder and her face was a light pink with exertion. The four of them filed into the classroom, settling in at a table somewhere near the middle. Hermione and Ron seemed rather irritated with each other while Harry just seemed unhappy to be in the class, which she completely understood.

"Settle down," Snape spoke coldly, shutting the door behind him. A hush had fallen over the class the second that the door closed, his mere presence enough to ensure their silence.

"Before we begin today's lesson," said Snape, moving over to his desk in a way that reminded her of a bat, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L., or suffer my... _displeasure_."

He lingered slightly on Neville, who gulped loudly. "After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye."

His gaze stayed between Harry and Ellen, his lip curling with displeasure. It took everything that the Noah had not to make her usual rude gesture at the man.

Git.

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly, "so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. students.

"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. The ingredients and method are on the blackboard. You will find everything you need in the store cupboard. You have an hour and a half...Start."

Ellen scowled deeply. The git of a man had chosen one of the most finicky potions that she had ever had to brew. Everything had to be added at the exact right time, every measurement had to be perfect. It was a pain in the arse for anyone to brew, much less a group of fifth years. She gathered her ingredients with the same scowl across her face and set to make the potion.

"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," called Snape, with ten minutes left to go.

She looked around at the other's potions, wincing at what she saw. While Hermione's seemed perfect, Harry's was steaming gray and Ron had managed to make his spit bright green sparks. Her own was a slightly darker shade of silver than Hermione's was, as she hadn't lowered the temperature of the flame enough before she added her final ingredient.

"Potter, what is this supposed to be?" Her head shot up to see Snape standing over Harry, a sneer etched deeply on his face. She clenched her fist in anger.

"The Draught of Peace," Harry sounded like he was holding back his anger and frustration.

"Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, "can you read?"

"Yes, I can."

"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter." Ellen resisted the urge to toss her cauldron at the git's head.

" 'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.' "

"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"

"No," said Harry very quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No," said Harry, more loudly. "I forgot the hellebore..."

"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. _Evanesco_." Everything that was in Harry's cauldron disappeared, leaving him with nothing to show for all of his work.

"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," said Snape. "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."

Ellen angrily filled her flagon, waiting until the last of the students had placed theirs on Snape's desk before she approached him. She set it down heavily, glaring into the greasy git's eyes. "I will not sit there and watch you treat Lily's child this way. Pull something like that again and I swear you'll regret it."

She stormed back to her seat, smiling at Harry when he gave her a questionable look. "Don't let that git bother you." She nudged him with her elbow, coaxing a small smile out of the boy.

* * *

The moment that the bell rang, she and Harry were out of their seats and rushing out of the dungeon. They got to the Great Hall before Ron and Hermione did and were enjoying their lunch when the two finally sat down next to ceiling had turned an even murkier gray during the morning. Rain was lashing the high windows.

"That was really unfair," Hermione tried to comfort Harry. "Your potion wasn't nearly as bad as Goyle's, when he put it in his flagon the whole thing shattered and set his robes on fire."

"Yeah, well," Harry said angrily, "since when has Snape ever been fair to me?"

It snapped them all into silence, Hermione obviously not having an answer. "I did think he might be a bit better this year," said Hermione in a disappointed voice. "I mean...you know..." She looked carefully around; there were half a dozen empty seats on either side of them and nobody was passing the table. "...Now he's in the Order and everything."

"Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots," said Ron sagely. "Anyway, I've always thought Dumbledore was cracked trusting Snape, where's the evidence he ever really stopped working for You-Know-Who?"

"I think Dumbledore's probably got plenty of evidence, even if he doesn't share it with you, Ron," snapped Hermione.

"Oh, shut up, the pair of you," said Harry heavily, as Ron opened his mouth to argue back. Hermione and Ron both froze, looking angry and offended. "Can't you give it a rest?" he said. "You're always having a go at each other, it's driving me mad."

The boy stood up angrily and stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving the other three sitting in silence. Ellen glared darkly at Ron and Hermione. "Albus is the most brilliant man that I have ever met. He has his reasons for trusting Snape, he just doesn't have to share it with a bunch of teenagers!"

"And," She hissed at them, "You two need to stop forcing everyone around you to deal with your bickering! I don't give a fuck if you have it out every time you're in private, but no one wants to hear it."

The pair was stunned into silence, but finally agreed. They ate their lunch in relative silence before they split up, Ron heading to Divination while Ellen and Hermione went to Study of Ancient Runes.

* * *

Professor Babbling was an old woman with a razor sharp wit. They spent the entire class period going over extremely complicated Nordic Runes and she always had some sort of snappy reply to anyone that complained about the work load.

She and Hermione sat next to each other and worked quietly, consulting each other on a few of the more difficult runes. For all the years that Ellen had lived, she never had the chance to just sit down and learn all of the things that she was interested in. She was so focused on living in the moment that she never slowed, never stopped. It was almost nice to be able to take a breather and learn something for herself.

The class ended much too soon and before she knew it, they were walking into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Professor Umbridge was sitting behind her desk with an overly sweet smile, all wrapped up in a fluffy pink cardigan and a bow atop her head.

The room was quiet as if they were all unsure of what they were supposed to do. Harry and Ron walked in moments later at sat down next to them, smelling strongly of incense.

"Well, good afternoon!" Umbridge chirped once they had all sat down. A few people mumbled "Good afternoon," in reply, but most of the room was still silent.

"Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her.

"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

The majority of the students looked upset at having to put their wands away, but they obeyed and pulled out their quills and parchment. The toad like woman reached into her purse and pulled out her wand, tapping the blackboard sharply. Words began to appear across the board:

 **Defense Against the Dark Arts  
** **A Return to Basic Principles.**

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" stated Professor Umbridge, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your O.W.L. year."

"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."

She rapped the blackboard again; the first message vanished and was replaced by:

 **Course aims:**

 **1\. The principles underlying defensive magic.  
** **2\. To recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.  
** **3\. The use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.**

They all dutifully copied down the course requirements, earning a sickly sweet smile from the woman, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

They all muttered their answers. "I think we'll try that again," said Professor Umbridge. "When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply 'Yes, Professor Umbridge,' or 'No, Professor Umbridge.' So, has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge,"

"Good," The woman said. "I should like you to turn to page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk."

The room was quiet as they all read, the atmosphere just as boring as the one had been in History of Magic. No one was even paying attention to what they were supposed to be doing, the majority just absentmindedly staring at one page. The only different one was Hermione, who hadn't even opened her book. The frizzy haired witch was just staring at their professor, her hand high in the air.

Minutes passed as Umbridge decidedly ignored her student, who was quickly catching everyone else's attention. When more than half the class were staring at Hermione rather than at their books, Professor Umbridge seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.

"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Professor Umbridge, showing her small, pointed teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims," Ellen felt a pit of dread forming in her stomach. Hermione could not be doing what she thought she was.

"And your name is — ?"

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

"Well, I don't," said Hermione bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh that she must have thought sounded cute. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron blurted out, shock across his face.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. — ?"

"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.

Professor Umbridge turned away just as Harry, Ellen, and Hermione lifted their hands in the air. She turned back around, ignoring Harry and Ellen.

"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" asked Professor Umbridge in her falsely sweet voice.

"No, but —"

"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way —"

"What use is that?" said Harry loudly. "If we're going to be attacked it won't be in a —"

"Hand, Mr. Potter!" sang Professor Umbridge.

Harry thrust his fist in the air. Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from him again, but now several other people had their hands up too.

"And your name is?" She turned to another Gryffindor.

"Dean Thomas."

"Well, Mr. Thomas?"

"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it?" said Dean. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free —"

"I repeat," Umbridge was still smiling, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"No, but —"

Professor Umbridge talked over him. "I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed — not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh as she looked over at Ellen, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

"If you mean Professor Lupin," Dean said quickly, "he was the best we ever —"

"Hand, Mr. Thomas! As I was saying — you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day —"

"No we haven't," Hermione said, "we just —"

"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!"

Hermione put up her hand; Professor Umbridge turned away from her.

"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you —"

"Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn't he?" said Dean Thomas hotly. "Mind you, we still learned loads —"

"Your hand is not up, Mr. Thomas!" trilled Professor Umbridge.

"Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?" she added, staring at Parvati, whose hand had just shot up.

"Parvati Patil, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.? Aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the countercurses and things?"

"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," said Professor Umbridge dismissively.

"Without ever practicing them before?" said Parvati incredulously. "Are you telling us that the first time we'll get to do the spells will be during our exam?"

"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough —"

"And what good's theory going to be in the real world?" said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again. Professor Umbridge looked up.

"This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world," she said softly.

"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?"

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter."

"Oh yeah?" said Harry. His faced was tinted red with anger and Ellen grabbed his sleeve to try to signal to him that he needed to be quiet. That awful woman was obviously baiting him into a reaction and he was falling for it completely.

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" inquired Professor Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.

"Hmm, let's think..." said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice, "maybe Lord Voldemort?"

Several students reacted with horror at the name. Professor Umbridge, however, did not flinch. She was staring at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face. Ellen felt the urge to punch that satisfied look away.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter." The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring at either Umbridge or Harry. "Now, let me make a few things quite plain."

Professor Umbridge stood up and leaned against the desk, her hands splayed across the surface. "You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead —"

"He wasn't dead," said Harry angrily, "but yeah, he's returned!"

"Mr.-Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-House-ten-points-do-not-make-matters-worse-for-yourself," said Professor Umbridge in one breath without looking at him. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"It is NOT a lie!" said Harry. "I saw him, I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" said Professor Umbridge triumphantly. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn

Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners.' "

Professor Umbridge sat down behind her desk again. Harry stood up angrily, staring down the professor. Ellen yanked hard at his sleeve, hissing at him to sit down. He managed to tug his arm away from her and raised his voice.

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" Harry asked, his voice shaking.

The entire class gasped, staring at Harry in shock. Obviously the boys' death was not something that any of them had talked about before and here Harry was bringing it up like so. They stared avidly from Harry to Professor Umbridge, who had raised her eyes and was staring at him without a trace of a fake smile on her face.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," she said coldly.

"It was murder," said Harry, his whole body shaking with rage."Voldemort killed him, and you know it."

Professor Umbridge's face was quite blank. For a moment he thought she was going to scream at him. Then she said, in her softest, most sweetly girlish voice, "Come here, Mr. Potter, dear."

He kicked his chair aside and stormed up to the woman's desk. Professor Umbridge pulled a small roll of pink parchment out of her handbag, stretched it out on the desk, dipped her quill into a bottle of ink, and started scribbling. Nobody spoke. After a minute or so she rolled up the parchment and tapped it with her wand; it sealed itself seamlessly so that he could not open it.

"Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear," said Professor Umbridge, holding out the note to him. Harry took it without saying a word and left the classroom, slamming the door behind him. He had not even looked at Ron and Hermione when he left.

Ellen raised her hand delicately, letting her polite mask slide over her face. "And your name is?" Umbridge asked her with a smile plastered across her face.

"Ellen Walker, I'm part of the new C.O.P. program," She said firmly, enjoying the disgust in the professor's eyes. "I was guaranteed a complete and hands-on education as part of my program, and that included being able to actually perform spells. Is there any way I can contact the Minister to get clarification? I'm sure that the Ministry would not be so discriminatory as to refuse to fill the terms of the program."

She smiled just as sweetly as the professor was. "As I said, Miss Walker, the Ministry has devised this new course. The C.O.P. program is a very," She giggled girlishly, " _new_ program. There are some issues that need to be worked out within it. I'm sure it will be much more _selective_ of certain aspects in the future."

Professor Umbridge turned away from her. "Page five, 'Basics for Beginners.' " She repeated.

Ellen looked at the woman in shock, her mouth slightly gaping. How dare that toad imply that she wasn't worthy of her scholarship? The Noah had been around longer than Umbridge could even begin to fathom. She was an ancestor of Noah!

She angrily looked back at her textbook, not reading a single word until the bell rang dismissing them. She all but threw the thing in her bag and stormed out of the room, determined not to speak to anyone for the rest of the night.

* * *

Ellen could hear Hermione calling her name but she ignored her. Slipping into an empty classroom, she opened an Ark gate to the atrium she had gone to last time. It was still drizzling steadily in the Ark, the once bright town washed with grey.

She waved her arm and allowed the rain to increase. Looking over at the sparkling pond she flung off her damp uniform, mindful of the doxy that was relaxing in the still dry pocket. She stepped into the pool, deepening it until she was floating on top with the rain pouring down on her.

Her mind drifted as she lay there, all the way to the bright white room she kept locked away inside her mind. She blinked hard when she found herself standing there, fully clothed. A deep chuckle sounded through the room, forcing a frown on her face.

"And what do you think is so funny, Neah?" She turned to face the Noah that was chained to a pillar in the room, the same place he had been for over a hundred years.

Neah had the same smug look he had had since the day she first saw him plastered across his chains wrapped across him tightly, binding his arms behind him. The glowing yellow eyes that they shared were staring straight at her, no sign of weakness or hesitation.

"You think you can keep running." He laughed at her, "The Clan has caught up to you, it's time to finally face them."

"Oh, fuck off." She made a rude gesture at him.

"You used to be such a lady, Allen." Neah said mockingly. "What would dear Mana think?"

She stiffened. "He's dead, he doesn't think anything." Ellen stared at Neah. "And I learned a long time ago that being polite and proper gets you nowhere in life, so why keep pretending to be something that I'm not? I'm a street urchin, it's what I am."

 _"Lady Allen Mikk_." Neah breathed out, "That doesn't sound like a street brat to me."

Ellen stormed over to him, fist clenched in the effort not to punch her Noah. "I'm no more a lady than you are a person. You're a memory Neah, it's time you accept that. You will _never_ have control for as long as I'm still breathing."

She pulled herself out of her mind with a gasp, still floating in the pond. Irritation filled her as she thought about the conversation with Neah. He hadn't been able to pull her into her own mind like that for years. Why did all Noah have to be so annoying?

The rain slowed while she swam to the edge of the pond and climbed out, shivering where she stood. Ellen dressed as fast as she could, eager to warm up. Had it ever been cold like that in the Ark before? She heaved a heavy sigh. It must have been hours since she disappeared into the Ark, she'd probably already missed dinner.

A gate opened itself up at her command, the bright white glow of it illuminating her dormitory. She looked around carefully before hopping out, closing it firmly behind her. A smile flitted across her face when she finally lay down.

Tomorrow would be better.

* * *

 **Not going to lie, I cried a bit writing this. Why am I so mean to poor Ellen :(**

 **"I am yours and you are mine.": I totally stole that from Game of Thrones. I loved that line so much and considering Ellen and Tyki met in the 1800's I don't think it's too strange that they speak a little more formal at times :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Tomorrow was not better.

Somehow while she was eating breakfast Ron and Hermione had managed to start some other fight between them, ending with the witch refusing to speak to him. Then they had Charms, which was lovely but she had never viewed that branch of magic as anything but a means to an end.

Double Transfiguration was probably the highlight of her morning. Minerva handled her classroom with such finesse that Ellen couldn't help but admire her. They spent the majority of the class working on Vanishing Spells, something that Ellen had mastered over 70 years ago. She tried her best to help the boys along, but all of her efforts fell short when they could not even vanish their snails. Hermione was successful as always and it was her and Ellen that managed to get away with not having any homework assigned.

Sadly, the class had to end. She ended up sitting in the library reading up on defensive magic with the boys as they worked on their homework for Potions. The other witch was still angry at Ron and avoided all three of them in her effort to stay away from the ginger boy.

Then it came time to go where Ellen had most been dreading. Care of Magical Creatures.

The cool wind blew across their faces as they made their way down the sloping lawn to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She felt a pang of longing when she saw Tyki there standing so comfortably that it was hard to imagine him anywhere else. A large trestle table was sitting in front of him with what appeared to be sticks gathered on it.

Everything slowed down as Ellen grew closer to him. The sounds of laughter rang dully in her ears, drowned out by the sound of their beating hearts. She could feel the bright yellow color flickering just behind her eyes when she resisted the urge to throw herself in the man's arms.

"Is this everyone?" Tyki's voice was still deep and accented, pulling sighs from the teenage girls around him. "Might as well begin. Hello, I am Professor Tyki Mikk. I have come from Castelobruxo to teach you the beauty of magizoology. So, who can tell me what exactly these are?"

He swept his hand in front of him, grandly gesturing to the pile of twigs. Almost immediately Hermione's hand went up, the blonde Slytherin from the train mocking her as she did so. The pug nosed girl shrieked in laughter at the blonde's antics, screaming when the twigs leapt into the air.

They looked like tiny pixieish creatures made of wood, each with knobbly brown arms and legs, two twiglike fingers at the end of each hand, and a funny, flat, barklike face in which a pair of beetle-brown eyes glittered.

"Oooooh!" Lavender and Pavarti squealed, causing the smallest wince to cross Tyki's face.

"Settle down ladies" He purred, scattering food among the creatures who immediately began feasting. "So, do any of you know what these are? Miss...?"

"Hermione Granger," Hermione introduced herself. " They're bowtruckles. They're tree-guardians, usually live in wand-trees."

"Five points for, hmm, Gryffindor," He said, quickly checking the color of her tie. " _Sim_ , these are bowtruckles and, as Miss Granger rightly says, they generally live in trees whose wood is of wand quality. Who here can tell me what it is that they eat?"

"Wood lice," Hermione said eagerly. "But fairy eggs if they can get them."

"Correct, my dear, take another five points. If you are ever going to get leaves or the wood of a tree a bow truckle inhabits, it will do you well to have a gift of wood lice for the creature. They do not look so very dangerous, but it is always the small ones that you must watch," His eyes flickered over to Ellen, "The bowtruckle has very sharp fingers and they will gouge your eyes out if you are not careful. So if you'd like to gather closer, take a few wood lice and a bowtruckle — I have enough here for one between three — you can study them more closely. I want a sketch from each of you with all body parts labeled by the end of the lesson."

The whole class surged forward, pulling Ellen along with them. She watched Harry deliberately move around the table until he was next to Tyki. She carefully picked her bowtruckles, trying to linger long enough to hear their conversation.

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry asked, looking up at the tall professor.

"I do believe that _Senhor_ Hagrid is off taking care of his _família_ ," Tyki answered smoothly and walked away from the table to begin speaking to individual groups.

Ellen saw the blonde brat lean in across from Harry and grab a large bowtruckle. They muttered something harsh back and forth, ending with the blonde walking looking satisfied while Harry just looked concerned.

She moved to go join Harry, but was quickly yanked into a group with Lavender and Parvati who seemed more interested in Tyki's looks than they were the bowtruckle.

"Isn't he just gorgeous?" Lavender sighed. "I could just look at him all day."

Ellen snorted in response while she struggled to get the damned creature to sit still long enough for her to draw it. The nasty thing clawed at her, almost swiping a cut across her hand. The thing went to attack her again before it went very still. She could hear a faint hissing noise from her pocket and when she looked down she spotted the doxy baring its teeth at the bowtruckle, snarling every time it moved.

With a shrug she went back to sketching, doing her best to drown out the other girl's gossiping. She was almost finished when the two went oddly quiet. Ellen looked up from her parchment and straight into the eyes of Tyki Mikk.

She flinched back putting space between them. He simply arched a brow in return and held his hand out to help her up which she promptly ignored.

"What all have you observed about the bowtruckle today?" Tyki looked between the three of them, causing Lavender and Parvati to giggle furiously.

"Bowtruckles are gits." Ellen said flatly, avoiding meeting his eye. "And they don't like doxies."

Tyki looked slightly surprised at her. "Tell me _menina_ , how did you figure that one out?"

She reached into her pocket and scooped the doxy out, frowning when it flew over to Tyki to nuzzle his face. "Doxies tend to follow Noah around, but you would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

"I am a magizoologist, after all," He said smoothly. "It is my passion to know all about the Beasts that live in our fine world."

"Really?" Ellen mocked him, "I'm sure it's just one of many... _passions._ "

The girls next to her made noises of outrage while Tyki simply narrowed his eyes. "Detention, Miss Walker. I will not allow disrespect in my class. I expect to see you outside of the Great Hall at 4:30 tonight."

The bell echoed distantly over the grounds before she could even speak. With a scowl she snatched her doxy off his shoulder and stormed off towards the greenhouse where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were headed. Harry had his hand wrapped in a handkerchief and a furious expression on his face.

"Wow, I wonder what it'd be like to have a difficult life?" said Harry sarcastically as she finally caught up. Ron was laughing, but she and Hermione just frowned. The group moved over to the vegetable patch, carefully eying the dark grey sky.

"I just wish Hagrid would hurry up and get back, that's all," said Harry in a low voice, "And don't say that Mikk bloke is a better teacher!" he added threateningly, earning a laugh from Ellen.

"I wasn't going to," said Hermione calmly.

"Because he'll never be as good as Hagrid," Harry said firmly.

"Don't kid yourself," She remarked, "Mikk is an excellent teacher. It's everywhere else that he's lacking."

She felt a strange prickling behind her eyes as she pushed back the fourth years that were leaving the greenhouse, shoving her way inside. The others waited outside for a moment, taking the time to speak to those that were just leaving. Ellen leaned against a planter and rubbed her eyes harshly.

Seeing Tyki had been one thing, but being so close to him? It had been hell. Every memory they had shared together was rushing through her mind, both the good and the bad. And the way he looked at her had been so tender that it made her heart ache.

Ellen sat through the entirety of Herbology without saying a word to anyone. She moved through the motions of the class, planting things and writing down observations as needed. She was completely lost in her own mind that if someone had even tried to speak to her, she wouldn't have heard a word.

* * *

Once the bell echoed through the grounds once more she all but ran out of the greenhouse and up to Gryffindor tower. She placed her pet in the small nest she had made for it and put her robe and bag on the bed, leaving her in just her uniform.

With a quick muttering of _Tempus_ she swore and took off running again. Tyki had been cruel when he gave her detention for only half an hour after her classes were finished. The thought of skipping crossed her mind but she forced herself to think of Harry. It could mean the difference between life and death for the boy if she could convince Tyki to help the Order.

"Oh.." She breathed out when she spotted him. Suddenly he looked so familiar, his dark curls swept back into the low ponytail he had been so fond of and his clothes clean and polished. Tyki met her eyes with a small smirk, and motioned for her to follow.

It took a few moments for her to catch up to his long steps but soon they were walking next to each other, only the sound of their hearts filling their ears.

Tyki led her to a nondescript door that unlocked with a gentle wave of his hand. It was a regular office, she realized. There was a desk and bookshelves lined with books all about magical creatures. Different trinkets and relics were scattered throughout the room, there was even a set of picture frames resting on his desk. But what truly caught her eye was a large map hanging on the wall, black string connecting different points.

She stepped closer to examine it, her breath catching in her throat as she traced the path. It went from the island where Headquarters once were and the place of the Holy War, to Paris where she had first fled. It went from Paris to a small town in Italy, then Germany. Everywhere that she had run since the war had ended was on the map with the final location in England.

Warm arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her into Tyki's warm chest. He rested his chin atop her head and did not move for what felt like an eternity. "You are very good at running, Allen." He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Always one step ahead of me, always a different face, a different name. I wonder, what mask are you wearing now?"

"I don't know." Ellen felt her voice break. "I'm just...Ellen."

Tyki pulled her closer, treasuring the feel of his love in his arms once again. "Why did you leave." His voice was quiet, heartbroken.

She closed her eyes and leaned against him. "I couldn't handle it anymore. Nicholas, then Mana... Losing my Crown Clown was just the breaking point. I didn't want to be alive, Tyki. I spent months trying to end it, but I always healed before I could die. I just..."

"Shh," He pulled her left hand up, gently kissing it. "It's okay, I'm here."

Tyki turned her to face him, his eyes shining with emotion. "Allen, I meant every word I said when we became man and wife. _Eu sou seu e você é minha_. Don't you know that?"

All she could do was stare at him in those beautiful golden eyes that she had always loved. She watched his eyes flit down to her lips then back up to her eyes, making it obvious what he was asking. Ellen bit her lip and looked away for a moment before nodding ever so slightly.

That was all that Tyki needed. His mouth was on hers, hot and demanding. She felt his hands slide down her waist to grip at her thighs, lifting her up then pressing her against the wall. Ellen wrapped herself around him, her legs locked behind his back while her hands tangled in his long hair. He pulled away from her, his lips trailing down her neck. Ellen heard herself moan loudly, pushing herself against him harder. He bit her neck hard before moving back up, pressing gentle kisses to her lips.

Tyki pressed his forehead against hers, their breath mingling. "Oh, how I have missed you, my dear Allen."

"Please don't call me that." She kept her eyes closed. "That girl, she doesn't exist anymore."

He slowly let her down, never moving his hands from her waist. "I know, _menina_. But that does not change my feelings for you. I have looked for you for over a century, nothing can keep me from you now."

"Except Voldemort." She muttered looking away from him.

Tyki's brow arched in amusement. "You cannot tell me that you really see him as a threat."

She shoved him away, pacing to the other side of the room. "You don't get it Tyki," She said frustratedly, "I'm not the only one that I'm worried about. I have friends in this world, people I consider family. Voldemort may not be able to hurt me but I don't know if I could recover if he took more loved ones from me."

He moved to lean against his desk, his messy hair the only sign of what they had been doing moments earlier. "What do you mean by more?"

"I was part of the resistance against him in the First Wizarding War. I know," She held a hand up to halt him. "I know, it was reckless but I owe Albus so much, I couldn't just tell him no when he has always been there for me. But when I was fighting, I met the most amazing people. Tyki, they knew I was a Noah and they didn't care. They saw me for who I was, not what I am."

Ellen swallowed hard. "Two of them, James and Lily, they had a son. I don't know why, but Voldemort decided to go after their whole family. He killed my friends and he would have killed Harry if his curse hadn't rebounded. I owe it to them to stop Voldemort for good."

"You've always been such a bleeding heart." Tyki reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her close enough for him to place his hands on her hips again. "These people, they are truly important to you?"

"They are." She nodded, staring up at his grim expression.

Tyki shook his head and smiled down at her. "Then they are important to me. What do you need me to do, dear Allen?"

"First off, I want you to call off the ridiculous threat you sent a few weeks ago," She scowled when he laughed at her. "Second, I want you to join the Order of the Phoenix."

He burst out into laughter, shaking his head at her. "Oh _menina_ , you know that Rhode has always had a flair for the dramatic. I promise your friends will not be harmed. Now tell me, what is the Order of the Phoenix?"

Ellen's eyes gleamed with excitement as she explained, never moving from her place in Tyki's arms. The other Noah was uncharacteristically serious while he listened to every little detail. She finally finished, her eyes shining and her cheeks flushed. Tyki could not help but lean in and place another heated kiss to her lips.

"I will join your little Order on one condition." He spoke with determination.

"Anything." She breathed out.

He removed one hand from her hips to reach across his desk, picking up a small wooden box. It sat in his hand between them before she reached out with trembling hands and opened it. Ellen gasped, staring down at the very ring Tyki had given her that day on the hill so many years ago. Tyki held it out to her, a genuine smile across his face. "I want you to be my wife again."

"You idiot," She whispered while he slid it onto her finger, "I never stopped being yours."

They held each other for what felt like a small eternity, whispering sweet nothings. The spell was finally broken when he reached out and ruffled her hair. "I have to say, I prefer the white."

Ellen giggled and tugged on one of his curls. "I liked the purple better too."

He kissed her in response, leaning back only to kiss her again. Things had only just begun to get heated when the wand in his holster began to vibrate violently, tearing a loud groan from its owner. "I hate to cut this short, but it is my turn to patrol the corridors. However, I am so very lucky that my path takes me by Gryffindor tower."

She rolled her eyes playfully and pulled away, allowing him to lead her out of the office that they had apparently been in for hours. They found themselves in the same position they were in earlier, yet it could not be more different. The atmosphere was relaxed and Tyki had his hand firmly planted on the small of her back, so low that it could almost be called indecent.

The corridors were completely empty as they made their way to the tower. Conversation flowed easily between the couple as though a century of separation had never happened. Finally they came to a stop in front of the portrait, the Fat Lady's snoring filling the air.

Ellen mumbled the password, never breaking eye contract with Tyki. The portrait swung open but Ellen hesitated. She took a deep breath and leaned in to lightly kiss the man. "Goodnight." She murmured, slipping into the common room. Warmth flooded her cheeks as she brushed her fingertips against her lips.

Today had been better.

* * *

The next two days passed in bliss for Ellen. Her classes didn't bother her at all and she even got to end the first day by seeing Tyki in Care of Magical Creatures. She had strung the wedding ring along a chain and slipped in beneath her shirt, hanging down to where her heart lay. Not even having to sit through a Potions class could dampen her mood. She continued to have 'detention' with Tyki every night, finally slipping into the common room just before midnight.

She had managed to avoid being spotted by any of the other girls, though she had an extremely close run-in with Hermione who was up knitting hats of all things! Ellen was so caught up in her bliss that she had barely even noticed what was happening around her until the Quidditch players burst into the common room on Friday night, the whole lot of them cheering and patting Ron on the bag.

The ginger rushed up to her and Hermione, joy clearly written across his face. "I did it! I'm Keeper!"

Hermione set her book down and wrapped Ron in a hug, "Oh Ron, that's amazing!"

"Good job, mate." Ellen nodded at him, getting a wide grin in return. It was only a few moments later when the older Gryffindor boys came stampeding down the stairs carrying cases of butterbeer and a few bottles of what looked suspiciously like Firewhisky.

The boys filled a goblet full of butterbeer and passed it to Ron with a cheer before handing out individual bottles on butterbeer to those that had come downstairs. One of them went to hand Ellen a bottle and received a raised eyebrow instead.

"Oh, no," She laughed, "I want the good stuff."

He laughed loudly before summoning one of the bottles of Firewhisky. Several of the older teens gathered around to drink it, despite all of Hermione's protests. Ellen conjured a good dozen shot glasses and went about filling them. She called Ron over and shoved one in his hand. "To our new Keeper!"

"To Ron!" They all yelled in response, downing their drinks. Ellen snorted loudly when a puff of fire burst out of Ron's mouth, leaving the boy's face bright red. She patted him on the back roughly. "It'll put some hair on your chest, that's for sure!"

Laughter filled the air as they passed the bottle all around, the older students merrily drinking away. For once, it was like all the pressure on them had been lifted. There were no exams, no games, or points. Just a group of teenagers living their lives. Hermione protested loudly about underage drinking, but it seemed that no matter what she said they just ignored her. The prefect sat down with a huff and returned to her knitting, her face pink with anger.

Ellen looked over at her like she wanted to say something before shrugging and downing another shot. She had something to celebrate for once, and by god was she going to celebrate. The Weasley twins came bounding up a second later slightly swaying where they stood. They reached down and grabbed her by the arms, tugging her up.

"C'mon Ellen, let loose!" Fred waggled his eyebrows at her as he held his hand out in an invitation to dance.

She snorted out a laugh but accepted his hand anyways. The twin spun her around the room quickly, leading her through a silly dance that had her blood facing and her face hurting from laughter. He handed her off to his brother who danced with her somewhat similarly. Alcohol rushed through her head making her dizzy and giggly.

Alicia soon joined the fray and before they knew it, most of the house was up and dancing around the fireplace, singing loudly and off key to Weird Sisters songs. It was the most fun that Ellen had had in a long time, just letting herself be human for once. As old as her mind was, her body was still young and had the craving to do stupid, reckless things.

They must have gone through four bottles of Ogden's Finest by the time Harry slipped into the common room, looking oddly tired. Ron immediately ran up to him, sloshing butterbeer down his own front. She heard him loudly proclaim his news, getting only a tired smile in response. She couldn't help but drunkenly giggle, swaying in place where she sat.

"Have a butterbeer." Ron pressed a bottle onto him. "I can't believe it — where's Hermione gone?"

"She's there," Fred pointed to an armchair by the fire, a cup of Firewhisky in his hand. Hermione was dozing in it, her butterbeer tipping precariously in her hand.

"Well, she said she was pleased when I told her," said Ron, looking slightly put out.

"Let her sleep," George slurred out, drunkenly patting Hermione's shoe. He laughed loudly when Ellen tried to move his hand and ended up falling onto her face.

Katie Bell managed to drag herself up and pulled Ron away to try on their old Keeper's robes, leaving Harry vulnerable to Angelina's scolding. The Quidditch captain droned on and on before Harry was able to escape, moving over to sit by Hermione. The witch woke with a jerk when Harry set his bag down, yawning widely.

Ellen's ears perked up as she focused completely on trying to listen to the conversation going on behind her, straining against the loudness of the common room.

"...you ought to tell Dumbledore your scar hurt."

"I'm not bothering him with this. Like you just said, it's not a big deal. It's been hurting on and off all summer — it was just a bit worse tonight, that's all —"

"Harry, I'm sure Dumbledore would want to be bothered by this —"

"Yeah," said Harry, "that's the only bit of me Dumbledore cares about, isn't it, my scar?"

"Don't say that, it's not true!"

"Hey!" Ellen slurred, squinting her eyes at Harry. "Albus cares about you so much, he's just not good at sharing."

Hermione looked at her like she was deeply concerned. "I think it's time we got you in bed Ellen."

Harry ignored the drunk girl on the floor. "I think I'll write and tell Sirius about it, see what he thinks —"

"Harry, you can't put something like that in a letter!" said Hermione, looking alarmed. "We just can't guarantee owls aren't being intercepted anymore!"

"All right, all right, I won't tell him, then!" said Harry irritably. He got to his feet. "I'm going to bed. Tell Ron for me, will you?"

"Can you help me get her to the stairs at least?" Hermione asked, motioning to Ellen. Harry reluctantly agreed and helped get the Noah on her own two feet, walking next to her in case she stumbled. Once they were at the staircase he all but stormed off, ignoring any attempt Hermione made to keep him downstairs.

The witch huffed and started helping Ellen up the stairs. She all but shoved her onto her bed, yelping when Ellen dragged her down with her. Hermione felt her tiny hands sink into her hair and attempt to braid it. "You got such pretty hair 'Mione." Ellen hiccuped. "It's all curly an' it's got so many colors. Mine is so boring and straight and white. I wish I had pretty curls like you an' Tyki."

"Your hair is brown Ellen." Hermione pointed out, pulling a giggle from the drunk girl.

"That's what you think~" She abandoned the braid in Hermione's hair. "I'm a Noah, I got lots of secru-secrets. You wanna hear a secret?"

Ellen leaned in to whisper in Hermione's ear. "I'm not the only one here." She patted the witch's nose softly. "Don't tell anyone, 'mmkay?"

Hermione's eyes shot open in outrage but before she could even begin to react she heard the gentle sound of snoring in her ear. She sat up as far as she could, frowning when she saw that Ellen was completely passed out. Hermione moved the girl into a more comfortable position and pulled the curtains shut around the bed.

She settled into her own bed, more questions than she had the answers to running through her mind.

* * *

 ** _Eu sou seu e você é minha =_ I am yours and you are mine. **

**And yes, the Gryffindors got drunk because I believe that it's totally ridiculous that there was apparently no alcohol at any of the house parties. Teenagers love doing stupid things and Ellen loves Firewhisky.** **ALSO, it is literally proven that people under 25 are more likely to make impulsive decisions when they're emotional (i.e. ELLEN) so there is biological component to why she acts the way she does despite her age.**

 **To those who are concerned that Ellen is forgiving Tyki too fast. Almost 200 have passed since the incident that broke them apart. Ellen has had plenty of times to come to terms with everything and was just to stubborn to seek the other Noah out on her own. I like to think that they are a lot less evil without the Earl's influence. By no means are the Noah good people, but they aren't trying to destroy the world anymore. All they want is to live out their long lives in peace and happiness, even if that happiness includes a little violence.**

 **If you have any other questions, I try to respond to almost every review so just review away!**


	9. Chapter 9

**WARNING: THERE IS SOME (NON-EXPLICIT) SEXUAL CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER. READ AT YOUR OWN CHOICE.**

* * *

Ellen woke the next day with bleary eyes and a pounding headache. She groaned loudly, shoving her head under her pillow. She had always been such a lightweight and to drink Firewhisky of all things? She was going to kill those Weasley twins when she finally got her hands on them.

With another groan she rolled out of the bed, gazing out the window. It was peacefully quiet and the first beams of sun were trickling across the grounds. She dressed slowly, enjoying the sound of twittering birds outside her window. Ellen yawned and headed for the common room with her doxy resting on her shoulder.

The whole common room was eerily quiet. The chaos of the night before was completely gone, almost as if it had never happened. She jumped a little when she spotted Harry sitting in one of the armchairs. His quill was suspended above a piece of parchment but he had yet to make a move to write anything.

Ellen slowly crept behind him, careful not to make any noise. Harry seemed to have come to a decision and was now writing in earnest. By the time he was done the sun was shining brighter and she could distantly hear the sounds of everyone above them waking.

She cleared her throat loudly. "Mornin' Harry."

"G'morning," He mumbled, folding up his letter quickly.

"You need to go ahead and send that now if you're trying to avoid everyone." Ellen advised. He sealed the parchment carefully and the pair made their way through the portrait hole. They turned left to take the longer path at the advice of the ghost that hung around Gryffindor so often.

She could feel his spirits rising as they walked along catching glimpses of the bright morning sky. He must be thinking about Quidditch, she smiled. James had that same look when he thought about flying.

Ellen saw him accidentally brush his hand against something and wince as though he was in pain. She frowned and reached out to grab it, anger filling her when she saw what was carved into the back. "I thought she just had you writing lines." She grit out.

The boy looked so tired when he finally told her the truth about what had been happening in his detentions. It took everything in Ellen not to go and murder Umbridge right then. She brushed her thumb over the words, pulling another deep wince from Harry.

"I can't heal this," She admitted bitterly. "That quill...it's a very dark object and dark magic always leaves a scar. I'm so sorry Harry. I promised I would protect you and I've let myself get so caught up that I haven't been much help."

"I'm fine," Harry protested, trying his best to pull his hand out of her surprisingly strong grip. "And I'm not telling Professor Dumbledore. I can handle this."

Ellen frowned but dropped the subject. They walked in silence all the way up to the Owlery, huffing slightly as they made their way up the stairs. Hundreds of owls sat nestled in the circular room, Harry's large white owl somewhere near the top of the vaulted ceiling.

"There you are," he said, "Get down here, I've got a letter for you."

With a low hoot she stretched her great white wings and soared down onto his shoulder. "Right, I know this says 'Snuffles' on the outside, but it's for Sirius, okay?"

The owl blinked once at him. Harry carried her over to the window and she took off into the blindingly bright sky. He and Ellen stood there and watched her until she became a small black speck before completely vanishing. Ellen watched Harry gaze down at Hagrid's hut, worry clear on his face.

She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. "I know you're worried about Hagrid, but I promise you that he's alright. And I know you don't like having Professor Mikk here, but you have to believe me when I say it truly is for the best."

Harry all but ignored her as he continued to look out onto the grounds. She followed his gaze to where a thestral was flying above the forest. It swooped in a great circle before diving back into the trees.

"Harry..." Ellen trailed off, unsure of what to say. The Owlery door suddenly opened behind them. The pair leapt in surprise and turned around, seeing the same girl who had visited their compartment on the train.

"Hi," Harry said quickly.

"Oh..hi," The girl sounded out of breath. "I didn't think anyone would be up here this early... I only remembered five minutes ago, it's my mum's birthday."

"Right," said Harry. An awkward silence fell over the three while the girl began to attach her parcel to one of the school's owl's legs.

"Oh," Harry's voice was oddly high. "Ellen, this is Cho. Ellen's part of that new Ministry program."

"I heard." said Cho rather coolly. She turned to Ellen with a slightly raised brow. "So you're really a Beast?"

Ellen stiffened. "Well, yeah, I am. That isn't a problem, is it?"

"Not at all," Cho smiled tightly. "Just a bit surprising."

She turned away from Ellen and focused her attention on Harry. "That Umbridge woman's foul," she said in a low voice. "Putting you in detention just because you told the truth about how — how— how he died. Everyone heard about it, it was all over the school. You were really brave standing up to her like that."

Harry's eyes brightened and he looked like he was going to say something when the Owlery door opened again. Filch, the caretaker, came wheezing into the room. There was a restless shifting of wings from above, and a large brown owl snapped his beak in a menacing fashion.

"Aha!" Filch spat out. "I've had a tip-off that you are intending to place a massive order for Dungbombs!"

"Who told you I was ordering Dungbombs?"

"I have my sources," said Filch in a self-satisfied hiss. "Now hand over whatever it is you're sending."

Ellen glared at the caretaker. "He already sent it off. It's gone."

"Gone?" said Filch, his face contorting with rage.

"Gone," said Harry calmly.

Filch looked positively livid"How do I know you haven't got it in your pocket?"

"Because —"

"I saw him send it," said Cho angrily.

Filch rounded on her. "You saw him — ?"

"That's right, I saw him," she said fiercely.

The caretaker glared at Cho, earning just as vicious of a glare back. Finally he scowled and shuffled back to the door, stopping with his hand on the handle. "If I catch even one whiff of a Dungbomb..."

He slumped down the staircase, leaving the three of them standing there alone. "Thanks," Harry said.

"No problem," said Cho, finally fixing the parcel to the barn owl's other leg, her face slightly pink. "You weren't ordering Dungbombs, were you?"

"Of course he wasn't." Ellen snapped. Something about the other girl just rubbed her the wrong way. Cho sent her parcel off and the three of them left the Owlery together, not saying much of anything. They reached the end of a corridor when Cho hesitated, looking over at Harry.

"I'm going this way." She said awkwardly. "Well, I'll...I'll see you around, Harry, Ellen."

"Yeah... see you."

Harry and Ellen walked quickly to the Great Hall and joined Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. "Morning," Harry said brightly.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" said Ron, eyeing Harry in surprise.

"Erm...Quidditch later," said Harry happily, pulling a large platter of bacon and eggs toward him. He and Ron fell into an easy conversation about Quidditch. She blocked them out and looked up at the staff table where Tyki was sitting. A warm, happy feeling filled her when they made eye contact and she couldn't help but let a genuine smile spread across her face. Tyki simply smiled back and looked up at the owls.

A letter dropped on her plate not a second later, her name written in Tyki's elegant handwriting. She opened it quickly, eager to see what was written.

 **I have sent requests to the rest of the Clan for assistance. I hope to see you tonight,** ** _menina_** **.**

 **All my love, T**

Ellen smiled widely at the news. She had asked Tyki to reach out to the others to help the Order since he was the one that had stayed in contact with them. There was still no word about Rhode and he was being oddly evasive about it.

"Wait a moment," said Hermione suddenly, pulling Ellen out of her thoughts. "Oh no...Sirius!"

"What's happened?" Harry said, snatching at the newspaper.

" 'The Ministry of Magic has received a tip-off from a reliable source that Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer...blah blah blah...is currently hiding in London!' " Hermione read from her half in an anguished whisper.

"Lucius Malfoy, I'll bet anything," said Harry in a low, furious voice. "He did recognize Sirius on the platform..."

"...'Ministry warns Wizarding community that Black is very dangerous...killed thirteen people...broke out of Azkaban...' the usual rubbish," Hermione concluded, laying down her half of the paper and looking fearfully at the three. "Well, he just won't be able to leave the house again, that's all," she whispered. "Dumbledore did warn him not to."

"I have to go." Ellen abruptly pushed her plate away and stood, rushing out of the Great Hall with her friends staring at her in concern. She all but ran through the corridors, searching for somewhere in Hogwarts where she could reach some peace of mind. She shoved the doors open to the outside and kept moving before she finally collapsed at the edge of Black Lake, her knees digging painfully into the sand below.

She screwed her eyes shut tightly. "It isn't fair." Ellen whispered to herself. "He didn't _do_ anything and they're treating him like a bloody criminal."

Ellen sat at the shore staring at the water, letting the sound of the gentle waves calm her. After a short while she heard footsteps crunching in the gravel and felt a small body settle next to hers. She stiffened but did not dare look over.

The person next to her sighed. "You don't have to be so stubborn Allen."

"You threatened to kill my friends." She said tightly.

"Allen, if you acted like this every time I threatened your friends then we wouldn't be where we are now." Rhode laughed and snuggled closer to the other Noah.

Ellen resisted the urge to cringe away. "How long have you been here?"

"Hogwarts or the UK?" She giggled.

"Both."

Rhode wrapped her arms around Ellen and sighed. "Father and I have been in London for the past five years. He met the loveliest witch and we moved after they married. We've been living on Grimmauld Place ever since."

She felt Ellen jolt with shock. "I know, we got so lucky, didn't we Allen? Imagine how surprised I was when I saw you vanish into Number Twelve when I was out for a walk. It wasn't that hard to figure out where you were. I can see through those silly Fidelius Charms, no problem."

"Then why are you here at Hogwarts?" Ellen asked.

"Uncle Tyki and Father thought it would be 'healthier' for me to be surrounded by other witches and wizards." The girl scoffed. "It's only fun because I have you here now."

Ellen slowly wrapped an arm around the smaller girl and pulled her close. They sat there like that for a while, just soaking in each others presence just like they used to over a hundred years before. "If you try to hurt them, I _will_ kill you." She said softly.

"That's what makes you so fun, silly Allen." Rhode reached over and tweaked the other girl's nose.

She wrinkled her nose and swatted Rhode's hand away, instantly regretting it when she saw the playful look in the girl's eyes. Ellen jumped up and tried to escape but before she could Rhode jumped on her back. She flailed for a moment before she lost her balance and fell face first into the lake, soaking both of them.

They burst into laughter and started splashing at each other. Soon they grew tired of it and simply swam around the cold lake, occasionally kicking a grindylow away from their ankles. The sun was high in the sky when the pair finally dragged themselves out of the water and laid on the rocky shore. Ellen pushed her wet hair back. "So, Slytherin?"

"Did you think I would end up anywhere else?" Rhode fingered her green and silver tie. "That hat nearly screamed when the old lady stuck it on me."

She laughed loudly, catching the attention of some of the students that were milling around the grounds. In particular, she caught the attention of one Pansy Parkinson who scowled and stomped over when she saw who was with Ellen.

"What are you doing Rebecca?" Pansy shrieked, wagging her finger in what she thought was a threatening manner.

Rhode giggled and flicked her short black hair away from her face. "I think people call this sitting."

"I know what sitting is," Pansy's voice rose. "What are you doing with that _thing_?"

"You mean Ellen?" She blinked innocently. "She's a family friend. Pretty much my aunt."

Pansy's puggish nose wrinkled in disgust. "I don't care if she's the queen, beasts are even worse than mudbloods and I won't have you ruining Slytherin's name!"

She reached down and grabbed Rhode's arm, the small girl allowing Pansy to pull her away. "I'll see you later Ellen!" She shouted, waving obnoxiously. Ellen shook her head with a smile. It was just like Rhode to antagonize everyone she came in contact with. She stood up and dusted herself off before starting the walk back up to the castle.

* * *

The afternoon light was lazily shining through the corridors as she walked into the grand castle. Ellen took the long way and stopped outside of Tyki's door. She deliberated for a moment before knocking loudly, pushing her way in before she heard an answer.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Umbridge sitting across from Tyki with a cup of tea in her hands. "O-Oh, I'm so sorry Professor, I didn't realize you had a guest." She stuttered, refusing to meet the toadish witch's eyes.

"Don't fret Miss Walker," Tyki said smoothly, setting his own cup of tea down. "I must have let the time get away from me. I must apologize _Senhorita_ Dolores, but I promised our lovely student that I would help her with our upcoming assignment. I would hate for her to feel unwelcome."

"Of course, Tyki." Umbridge tittered. "We _must_ continue this another day."

She waddled past Ellen, a venomous look in her eyes. The door shut behind her with a resounding thud. Ellen winced and tried to smile at Tyki. "Er, sorry about that."

He smiled and got out of his chair to walk over to her. "I should be thanking you. I've been forced to ward off her advances for the past hour."

"I'm sure you could barely keep from ravishing her." Ellen teased, wrapping her hands behind his neck. He hummed and pulled her close, kissing her softly.

She leaned back a moment later, a frown etched across her face. "Why didn't you tell me that Rhode was here?"

"She wanted to speak to you herself," Tyki murmured. "I had to honor her wishes, _amor_."

Ellen rolled her eyes. "Bloody Noahs." She muttered before firmly pressing her lips against his once more. They kissed gently for a moment then it grew heated and desperate.

She could feel his hands running all along her body, pressing her impossibly close. It was as if she was weightless and the only thing keeping her from floating away was the ever constant push of his lips against hers. Tyki had always managed to make her feel that way, even from the very first kiss.

His hands slid lower down her back and slid under her skirt, cupping her arse firmly. Ellen laughed against his lips and let her own hands trail across his chest, her fingers lingering at the edge of his rumpled shirt. She slowly unbuttoned it and pushed it off his shoulders, grabbing at the exposed flesh of his torso.

Tyki kissed down the side of her jaw, chuckling deeply in her ear. "Still so eager, hmm?"

"Don't be an arse." She swatted him lightly on the chest, pulling another chuckle from him.

He kissed her heatedly and pulled her jumper off in one smooth motion, undoing her tie just as easily. Tyki smirked down at her, grabbed the top of her shirt and pulled. Buttons went flying across his office leaving her shirt hanging open, exposing her skin to the outside air. She yanked her shirt off and threw it behind them, kissing him with a newfound passion.

"Where's the bedroom?" She murmured between kisses, moaning loudly as Tyki's hand finally slid underneath her waistband. Tyki managed to separate himself from her long enough to pull on a bright purple book sitting in his bookshelf. The furniture slid to the side revealing a modest flat.

She squealed when her picked her up in the same way he had on their wedding night and carried her into the room, the bookshelf sliding closed behind them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight, laughing in joy when he tossed her onto the bed

His eyes were soft as he leaned over her. He cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb gently rubbing along her cheekbone. "You are so beautiful." Tyki's voice was quiet, almost like he was afraid that if he spoke any louder then she would come to her senses.

Ellen leaned up to kiss his nose, giggling at how he crinkled it in reaction. "I love you." She admitted for the first time in over a hundred years. "I don't want to spend another second without you in my life."

"No matter where you go, I will always be there." Tyki smiled down at her. "That I promise you."

Their lips met with a soft touch, melting into each other. It was as if Ellen could not tell where she ended and Tyki began. They eagerly pulled each other's remaining clothes, relishing the feeling of bare skin pressed to skin. She found herself gasping and moaning with every touch. He looked at her, the most important question of all written across his face.

She nodded and then they were one. Being with him in that way was like flying. Every part of her felt electrified, every movement sending little shocks throughout her body. They easily fell into perfect sync as if they had only been separated but a day, not the centuries they had endured apart. It felt like coming home. Ellen looked up at his beautiful face and let true happiness fill her for the first time in forever. The world around them disappeared as the feeling grew. Suddenly there were no Noah, no Voldemort, no war or heartbreak. It was only Ellen and Tyki, two people in love partaking in a dance as old as time.

Fireworks burst through her as they came to a peak, floating back down to Earth moments later. Ellen let him pull her close against him, her last thought before succumbing to sleep was how right it felt to finally be in his arms again.

She woke hours later, the dull evening light shining in through the window. Ellen looked down at the man next to her. He was so handsome, even in sleep. She brushed her hand across his cheek and tucked a dark curl behind his ear. "Tyki," She whispered, shaking him slightly. He looked up at her with bleary eyes. "If I don't head back now they'll go looking for me. I know them."

Ellen went around the room gathering her clothes and redressing before casting the right charms to clean herself up, trying to ignore Tyki's heated gaze. If she even so much as looked at him, she knew that they would just end up repeating what had just happened. She jumped when he grabbed her from behind. She hadn't even heard him move!

"The night is still young, _menina_." He kissed her neck, sending shivers down her spine. "Surely a few more hours will not make a difference."

"Sadly, it will." Ellen sighed. "Trust me, I want nothing more than to throw you back on that bed and let you absolutely _ruin_ me, but they will try to find me if I don't return soon."

She walked out into his office with him trailing behind her, frowning at her ripped shirt. For all her talents she had never been able to repair clothes all that well and the last thing she wanted was for her shirt to fall to pieces in the middle of a corridor. With a shrug she grabbed his larger white button up and slipped it on. Ellen grabbed her jumper and tie before turning back to him.

Shaking her head at his slight pout she pulled him into a quick, deep kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too." He squeezed their joined hands. Ellen stuffed her belongings in her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She walked out the door only to be pulled back in for one more kiss. She laughed and pushed him away. Ellen slowly began to make her way to the tower, completely unaware of the hidden individual who had witnessed everything.

* * *

Ellen entered the Gryffindor common room to find all of her friends sitting around the fire. Harry and Ron were furiously scribbling on pieces of parchment looking rather distressed. Hermione and Ginny were sitting next to each other on the plush couch, a set of glinting knitting needles working away in front of them.

She all but threw herself down on the couch, causing Hermione to jump. "Where in the world have you been?" The witch asked, looking Ellen up at down with a suspicious look. She cursed to herself when she realized that she still had on Tyki's much larger shirt.

"I took a day to explore the castle." Ellen shrugged, trying to act like everything was normal. "Had a nice swim, the whole bit. That lot working on their homework?"

Hermione glanced over at the boys with a slight frown. "They're always waiting until the last minute."

Ellen patted her on the shoulder. "They're teenage boys." She sighed. "They'll learn one day."

The other witched only pursed her lips before turning back to Ginny. They began a cheerful conversation while Ellen leaned her head against the arm of the couch. She blinked once, twice, and then the world was dark.

When she finally woke back up it must have been past midnight. The common room was all but empty, save Harry, Ron, and Hermione. That ugly orange cat was snoozing in an armchair near the fire, Hermione bent over what looked like a pile of homework.

Ellen yawned and walked over to them, settling down at Harry's feet to lean her head on his knee. She looked up at him and grinned, getting only a blank stare in response. She resisted the urge to sigh and stared into the fire. The flames danced merrily in response. Her eyes unfocused slightly and she let the warmth fall over her.

She felt Harry stiffen underneath her, pulling her back to reality. He was staring intently into the fire before he slid to the floor, crouching in front of the fire.

"Er — Harry?" said Ron uncertainly. "Why are you down there?"

"Because I've just seen Sirius's head in the fire," Harry said calmly. She jerked up and rushed over to where Harry was, glaring at the fire as if that might make her friend appear in it.

"Sirius's head?" Hermione repeated. "You mean like when he wanted to talk to you during the Triwizard Tournament? But he wouldn't do that now, it would be too — Sirius!"

There in the middle of the dancing flames sat Sirius's head, long dark hair falling around his grinning face. "I was starting to think you'd go to bed before everyone else had disappeared," he said. "I've been checking every hour."

"You've been popping into the fire every hour?" Harry was halfway laughing.

"Just for a few seconds to check if the coast was clear yet."

"But what if you'd been seen?" said Hermione anxiously.

"Well, I think a girl — first year by the look of her — might've got a glimpse of me earlier, but don't worry," Sirius said hastily, as Hermione clapped a hand to her mouth. "I was gone the moment she looked back at me and I'll bet she just thought I was an oddly shaped log or something."

"But Sirius, this is taking an awful risk —" Hermione started to lecture him.

"You sound like Molly," said Sirius. "This was the only way I could come up with of answering Harry's letter without resorting to a code — and codes are breakable."

Hermione and Ron turned to glare at Harry. "You didn't tell us you'd written Sirius!" She frowned.

He shrugged in response. "I forgot. Besides, there's no way anyone would have got anything out of it, right Sirius?"

"It was very good." Sirius grinned. "But never mind that — your scar? It kept hurting last year, didn't it?"

"Professor Dumbledore said it happened whenever Voldemort feels any powerful emotion." Harry admitted. "Maybe he was just really angry that night."

"Well, now he's back it's bound to hurt more often," said Sirius.

"So you don't think it had anything to do with Umbridge touching me when I was in detention with her?" Harry asked.

"I doubt it," said Sirius. "I know her by reputation and I'm sure she's no Death Eater —"

"She's foul enough to be one," Harry scowled.

"Yes, but the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters," said Sirius with a wry smile. "I know she's a nasty piece of work, though — you should hear Remus talk about her."

"Does Lupin know her?"

"No, but she drafted a bit of anti-werewolf legislation two years ago that makes it almost impossible for him to get a job." Sirius had a tight smile across his face. Ellen wished that she could reach over and hug him or grab his hand, something to make the hurt go away.

"What's she got against werewolves?" said Hermione angrily.

Ellen snorted. "She's probably just scared of them, the old bint."

"I expect so," Sirius agreed with a smile. "Apparently she loathes part-humans; she campaigned to have merpeople rounded up and tagged last year too. Imagine wasting your time and energy persecuting merpeople when there are little toe rags like Kreacher and Ellen on the loose —"

The Noah stuck her tongue out while Hermione began to sputter on about the treatment of Kreacher. "So what are Umbridge's lessons like?" Sirius interrupted. "Is she training you all to kill half-breeds?"

"That would require her to let us use magic at all." Ellen rolled her eyes.

"All we do is read the stupid textbook," said Ron.

"Ah, well, that figures," said Sirius. "Our information from inside the Ministry is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

"Trained in combat?" Harry said with his eyebrows raised high. "Does he think we're forming some kind of army?"

"That's exactly what he thinks you're doing," said Sirius, "or rather, that's exactly what he's afraid Dumbledore's doing — forming his own private army, with which he will be able to take on the Ministry of Magic."

"So we're being prevented from learning Defense Against the Dark Arts because Fudge is scared we'll use spells against the Ministry?" said Hermione, looking furious.

"Yep," said Sirius. "Fudge thinks Dumbledore will stop at nothing to seize power. He's getting more paranoid about Dumbledore by the day. It's a matter of time before he has Dumbledore arrested on some trumped-up charge."

"D'you know if there's going to be anything about Dumbledore in the Daily Prophet tomorrow? Only Ron's brother Percy reckons there will be —"

"I don't know," said Sirius, "I haven't seen anyone from the Order all weekend, they're all busy. It's just been Kreacher and me here..." There was a definite note of bitterness in Sirius's voice.

"Paddy.." Ellen trailed off.

"So you haven't had any news about Hagrid, either?" Harry interrupted eagerly.

"Ah..." said Sirius, "well, he was supposed to be back by now, no one's sure what's happened to him. But Dumbledore's not worried, so don't you three get yourselves in a state; I'm sure Hagrid's fine."

"But if he was supposed to be back by now..." said Hermione in a small, worried voice.

"Listen, don't go asking too many questions about Hagrid," said Sirius hastily, "it'll just draw even more attention to the fact that he's not back, and I know Dumbledore doesn't want that. Hagrid's tough, he'll be okay." And when they did not appear cheered by this, Sirius added, "When's your next Hogsmeade weekend anyway? I was thinking, we got away with the dog disguise at the station, didn't we? I thought I could —"

"NO!" Harry, Ellen, and Hermione all but shouted.

"Are you trying to get caught?" Ellen gritted out. "Haven't you seen what they're saying in the papers?"

"Oh that," said Sirius, grinning, "they're always guessing where I am, they haven't really got a clue —"

"Yeah, but we think this time they have," said Harry. "Something Malfoy said on the train made us think he knew it was you, and his father was on the platform, Sirius — you know, Lucius Malfoy — so don't come up here, whatever you do, if Malfoy recognizes you again —"

"All right, all right, I've got the point," said Sirius. He looked most displeased. "Just an idea, thought you might like to get together —"

"I would, I just don't want you chucked back in Azkaban!" said Harry.

There was a pause in which Sirius looked at Harry, a crease between his sunken eyes.

"You're less like your father than I thought," he said finally, a definite coolness in his voice. "The risk would've been what made it fun for James."

"He's not James." Ellen snapped, ignoring the hurt expression that stole across Sirius's face.

"Well, I'd better get going, I can hear Kreacher coming down the stairs," said Sirius, but Harry was sure he was lying. "I'll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I? If you can stand to risk it?"

There was a tiny pop, and the place where Sirius's head had been was flickering flame once more. They all sat there in silence before Harry went to stand. Ellen grabbed his arm and shook her head, forcing him to stay sitting with all of them. "Sirius is right. You need to quit asking about Hagrid."

"But!" Harry protested, Ellen covering his mouth to silence him.

"The game is different now Harry." She warned him. "You've got to learn to adapt."

* * *

 **MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM  
** **DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER "High Inquisitor"**

 _"In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. " 'The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,' said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.'_

 _"This is not the first time in recent weeks Fudge has used new laws to effect improvements at the Wizarding school. As recently as August 30th Educational Decree Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person. " 'That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts,' said Weasley last night. 'Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, so the Minister put in Umbridge and of course, she's been an immediate success —'_ "

"She's been a WHAT?" said Harry loudly.

"Wait, there's more," said Hermione grimly.

 _" '— an immediate success, totally revolutionizing the teaching of Defense Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts.' "It is this last function that the Ministry has now formalized with the passing of Educational Decree Twenty-three, which creates the new position of 'Hogwarts .' " 'This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling the "falling standards" at Hogwarts,' said Weasley. 'The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post, and we are delighted to say that she has accepted.'_

 _"The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents of students at Hogwarts. " 'I feel much easier in my mind now that I know that Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation,' said Mr. Lucius Malfoy, 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansion last night. 'Many of us with our children's best interests at heart have been concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years and will be glad to know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation.'_

 _"Among those 'eccentric decisions' are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the hiring of werewolf Remus Lupin, half giant Rubeus Hagrid, and delusional ex-Auror 'Mad-Eye' Moody. Rumors abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts. " 'I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step toward ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all repose confidence,' said a Ministry insider last night._

 _"Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden have resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Hogwarts. " 'Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said Madam Marchbanks. 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.' (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17)."_

"So now we know how we ended up with Umbridge! Fudge passed this 'Educational Decree' and forced her on us! And now he's given her the power to inspect other teachers!" Hermione was breathing fast and her eyes were very bright. "I can't believe this. It's outrageous..."

"I know it is," said Harry. He looked down at his right hand, clenched upon the tabletop, and saw the faint white outline of the words Umbridge had forced him to cut into his skin. But a grin was unfurling on Ron's face.

"What?" said Harry and Hermione together, staring at him.

"Oh, I can't wait to see McGonagall inspected," said Ron happily. "Umbridge won't know what's hit her."

"Well, come on," said Hermione, jumping up, "we'd better get going, if she's inspecting Binns's class we don't want to be late..."

But Professor Umbridge was not inspecting their History of Magic lesson, which was just as dull as the previous Monday, nor was she in Snape's dungeon when they arrived for double Potions. The entire class period and the next passed dully for Ellen, no sign of the awful High Inquisitor anywhere. She and Hermione finally met up with the boys as they walked up to the door of their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Ellen gave the look a disgusted glance. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be going there today."

She turned and marched down the hall all the way towards Dumbledore's office. She flounced up the stairs after giving the password and let herself in the same way she had the last time. Settling into the chair he conjured for her, Ellen grinned. "Everyone but the Ninth has agreed to consider joining the Order, and I'm pretty sure that she'll join once she knows the others are involved too."

"So soon?" Albus's eyebrows rose in response. "I would have thought that it would have taken at least a month."

"The others have been in constant contact for the last seventy years." She admitted. "When we got Tyki on our side, we basically got all of them."

Her friend let a very boyish grin steal across his face. "How are things going with Professor Mikk?"

Ellen gagged dramatically. "Can you quit calling him that? It makes it sound like I'm having some clandestine affair with my own husband."

"But," She smiled. "It's going very well. I never thought that we would be together again and now that were are, it feels like a dream that I don't want to wake up from.

Albus looked at his old friend with a light feeling in his heart. Never had he seen the moody Noah so genuinely happy. "I have to ask," He began. "Is the Clan going to be joining the Order at any of the upcoming meetings?"

"Trust me, you don't want to deal with them without me around for the first time." Ellen held in a groan at the thought of Jasdevit terrorizing Molly Weasley. "Besides, Tyki has his hands full with his students and it isn't like Rhode can just take off from her common room at the slightest notice."

Her eyes widened when that last part slid out. "Rhode is the Ninth. She's a first year Slytherin under the name Rebecca Campbell. She's harmless as far as I can tell, but you might want to get Severus to keep an eye on her."

He nodded and summoned them each a cup of tea. The old friends spent the rest of the afternoon talking and planning things both important and unimportant. It wasn't until the screeching of an owl landing on his desk interrupting them that Ellen realized how late it was. She quickly excused herself and started walking towards Tyki's office.

* * *

Ellen actually waited for him to answer the door that time and looked around to see if the hall was clear before literally jumping on him and kissing him. He kissed back eagerly, shutting the door behind them.

"Not that I am not happy to see you," He grinned, "But aren't you supposed to be in class right now."

"Because I really need to worry about passing my OWLs." Ellen snorted and untangled herself from him. "I couldn't stand do deal with that terrible Umbridge woman today. All she has done is insult everyone and imply that I'm some uncontrollable Beast."

He shook his head fondly. It was so like her to be so belligerent in the face of adversity. Ellen walked over to his bookshelf and pulled the purple book, opening up the passage into his quarters. She threw herself down on the bed with a loud groan.

Tyki lay next to her and wrapped an arm around her smaller body. He did not say a word; he was content to just exist near her for a moment more. His love did not speak a single word but he could feel the tension slowly draining out of her as she snuggled closer. She turned around in his arms and tucked her head neatly under his chin.

"I don't know what I'm doing." She said quietly. "I'm supposed to be here to protect Harry, but that awful woman keeps making him use a blood quill and there isn't anything that I can do about it. He made me promise not to say anything to Albus but I don't know if I can do that anymore."

He brushed her hair out of her face with a gentle touch. "Do what feels right to _you_. It will not be easy but if Mr. Potter trusts you, isn't that what matters?"

The only response she gave was burrowing closer. The empty spot that lived in her heart felt whole whoever she was near him and she would do anything to keep it that way. Tyki was a source of comfort in her life; he was the only person that did not leave her.

Even when they were supposed to be enemies, he had never left. She could remember the night that he first stayed as if it had only happened the day before.

The finders she had been with had broken off to find shelter from the storm they were caught in, leaving her alone in the dark. When they did not return over an hour later she had been forced to continue on her own. The slippery mountain path led her to a deep, but dry cave. She had carefully entered with her Innocence activated in preparation for any wild animal that she might encounter but all she found was the Noah of Pleasure sitting next to a small fire, his dripping outer clothes laid out next to him.

She had expected a fight but the Noah had only invited her to sit next to him, stating that he was far too tired to fight with her that night. It had taken a few hours for her to fully relax and accept that he truly meant no harm. The Noah had convinced her to lay her soaked exorcist coat and boots out next to his so that they could dry and she found herself sitting closer to the man than she ever had before.

Only the sound of the crackling fire filled the cave until Tyki began speaking. He told a tale from his childhood, a story of how he and his older brother had found themselves in a similar situation; they had ended up staying in their shelter until a local sheep farmer discovered them and dragged them back to their father's villa.

From there conversation had flowed freely between the enemies and it had surprised her how much she truly enjoyed the man's presence. They talked late into the night until her eyes were heavy with sleep. Tyki had ordered her to sleep, promising that he would stay to keep the fire burning through the night.

And he did.

When she awoke the next morning he was still there, the pale morning light streaming into the cave and lighting up his face. The Noah had wrapped his now dry overcoat across her shoulders, explaining that hers was still a little damp. She had felt the strangest feeling in the bit of her stomach like there was something fluttering about.

His hands had lingered as the top of her arms and he had looked at her with an expression that she couldn't place. She had looked into his eyes and it was like the world had stopped; they were the only ones in existence. They grew closer as if there was a ever shortening string attached between them. Her heartbeat sounded in her ears when he had finally brushed his lips against her, soft but reassuring.

They pulled away from each other and looking into his glowing yellow eyes, she knew something had changed for good.

Their romance had been something out of a novel. It was full of stolen moments and kisses in the dark, words of love never spoken above a whisper yet they be discovered. The more time she spent with him, the happier her life became. Having someone like him, someone that loved her so fiercely, it changed her whole life. Suddenly the world didn't seem as dark and hopeless because he had shown her that there was still joy and beauty.

She had been willing to give up everything for him and she nearly did. Once she figured out that she was with child they had immediately begun planning their escape. Tyki had found a ship that was willing to let them join on its journey to the colonies and if it hadn't been for the Black Order, they would have left.

It had been her mistake really. She had been on a mission with Lenalee when a bout of morning sickness struck her. Her dear friend had easily figured out what was happening and truly seemed happy for her until Ellen told her that she planned to leave the Black Order to be with the father. Lenalee had told her brother about Ellen's pregnancy the moment that they arrived back in Headquarters and he had had no choice but to inform the Vatican.

The Vatican had immediately placed her under careful watch of Howard Link to ensure that she did not flee in the middle of the night. That had been something that she could handle until it came to their notice that she was the host for the Fourteenth. It was that very night that the Vatican had ordered for her child to be killed, as they could not allow such an abomination as a Noah to reproduce.

She was forced to swallow all types of medications and her Innocence was bound, by the end of the night she had delivered a stillborn child, a little boy. Ellen had sobbed in despair and cradled the body of her precious son. She had a son. They had already decided on names, it was to be Nicholas if it was a boy and Maria if it was a girl. And now her beautiful Nicholas was dead.

Ellen did not realized that she was shaking from the intensity of the memories until she felt Tyki grip her tighter and murmur reassuring words. She jerked slightly and stared up into his haunted eyes, her eyes shimmering with tears that would not fall. "I'm sorry." Ellen whispered against his chest.

"I miss him too." Tyki's voice wavered. "There is not a day that passes that I do not wish to have him back."

She sniffled and pressed her face against his shirt. "I can't do this. How am I supposed to protect Harry if I couldn't even protect our son?"

"There was nothing you could have done back then _, amor_. There were too many of them and you did not have a way to defend yourself. You are stronger now and I know that you will keep the boy safe; I know you."

"We have to protect him Tyki. His parents trusted that we would all keep from harm's way; I won't let Lily and James down like that." Ellen vowed. "I'm willing to be the monster this world sees me as if it means that Harry is safe."

Tyki ran his hand down her back reassuringly. "Then I will be a monster as well. We all will. You don't ever have to be alone again."

Ellen kissed him lightly and tucked back against his chest, allowing peaceful sleep to wash over her.

* * *

The following morning found her still in Tyki's bed wrapped in his warm embrace. Ellen rolled out his bed and onto the floor with a loud thud, hopping up with a groan. Tyki groaned sleepily and looked over at her. "What," He asked. "are you doing?"

"I didn't show back up to my dormitory last night!" She panicked, casting every charm she knew to make herself look presentable. "What am I going to say when they ask me where I've been? 'Oh, don't worry, I've just spent the night with our professor. You know, the one that I'm bloody married to?' I'm sure that'll go over well!"

She frowned at the stubborn strawberry preserve stain on her collar that refused to move no matter how many spells she cast on it. With a roll of her eyes she walked over to his wardrobe and pulled a white button up out, shrinking it to fit her size. Tyki chuckled loudly at her antics.

"Is it your mission to steal every one of my shirts _, menina_?" asked Tyki. "This is the second one this week. If you keep this up then I will have to teach my classes without a shirt."

"I'll only take the good ones." She teased, laughing as she danced out the way of his embrace. "Your shirts smell better anyways."

He reached out and ruffled her hair. "That's because I know what _colônia_ is, you little witch."

Ellen rolled her eyes and finally slipped her jumper on. She checked to see if her tie was straight and dragged him out into his office with her. Leaning up she kissed him goodbye, a soft blush across her cheeks. "I'll see you in class today, _Professor_."

She slipped out of his office and sprinted towards the Great Hall in hope that her friends would still be eating by the time she got there. With a sigh of relief she made her way to the table and sat next to Hermione, apparently interrupting the middle of some argument.

"You think McGonagall was right, do you?" Harry said angrily, glaring at where Hermione was hiding behind her newspaper.

"I wish she hadn't taken points, but she is right about not losing your temper with Umbridge." Hermione said while staring at the same spot on the paper.

Harry looked over at his friend in anger and spent the rest of their breakfast in relative silence. She and Hermione chattered all the way to Charms where Harry still seemed insistent on ignoring the other girl. When they finally made it to Transfiguration she was almost excited to see Umbridge sitting in the corner clutching a clipboard.

McGonagall marched into the room as if the toashish professor was not even present. "That will do." She said crisply and silence fell over the classroom. She ordered her students to hand out the necessary mice for class and handed back their homework in silence.

"Hem, hem," Umbridge coughed strangely. Professor McGonagall ignored her.

"Right then, everyone, listen closely — Dean Thomas, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention — most of you have now successfully vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have the gist of the spell. Today we shall be —"

"Hem, hem," said Professor Umbridge.

"Yes?" said Professor McGonagall, turning round, her eyebrows so close together they seemed to form one long, severe line.

"I was just wondering, Professor, whether you received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec —"

"Obviously I received it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my classroom," said Professor McGonagall, turning her back firmly on Professor Umbridge. "As I was saying, today we shall be practicing the altogether more difficult vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell —"

"Hem, hem."

"I wonder," said Professor McGonagall in cold fury, turning on Professor Umbridge, "how you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking."

Professor Umbridge looked as though she had just been slapped in the face. She did not speak, but straightened the parchment on her clipboard and began scribbling furiously. Looking supremely unconcerned, Professor McGonagall addressed the class once more.

"As I was saying, the Vanishing Spell becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be vanished. The snail, as an invertebrate, does not present much of a challenge; the mouse, as a mammal, offers a much greater one. This is not, therefore, magic you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner. So — you know the incantation, let me see what you can do..."

Hermione glanced over at Ellen and spoke in a whisper. "Where were you last night?"

"I can't tell you right now." Ellen glared at her, silencing any questions the other girl might have had.

They continued on with the lesson as normal, Umbridge sitting the corner writing a large amount of notes on her clipboard as McGonagall taught. When Professor McGonagall finally told them all to pack away, rose with a grim expression on her face.

As they filed out of the classroom, Harry saw Professor Umbridge approach the teacher's desk; he nudged Ron, who nudged Hermione, who nudged Ellen in turn, and the four of them deliberately fell back to eavesdrop.

"How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" Professor Umbridge asked.

"Thirty-nine years this December," said Professor McGonagall brusquely, snapping her bag shut.

Professor Umbridge made a note.

"Very well," she said, "you will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time."

"I can hardly wait," said Professor McGonagall in a coldly indifferent voice, and she strode off toward the door. "Hurry up, you lot," she added, sweeping the four before her.

* * *

Ellen had hoped that would have been the last they would see of Umbridge that day, but when they walked down to the forest for Care of Magical Creatures she spotted the woman and her clipboard standing next to Tyki.

"You are new to this position, am I correct?" Ellen heard her ask him as they crowded around the trestle table where the bowtruckles were feasting on wood lice.

"I am new to Hogwarts, yes," Tyki said with a polite smile. "However, as the Headmaster has stated, I have many years of experience teaching Care of Magical Creatures at Castelobruxo."

"Oh yes," Professor Umbridge simpered, "I wonder — the headmaster seems strangely reluctant to give me any information on the matter — can you tell me what is causing Mr. Hagrid's very extended leave of absence?"

"I am afraid I cannot." Tyki said flatly. "I have not had the opportunity to discuss it with the Headmaster, but I have heard nothing but kind things about _Senhor_ Hagrid. So, shall we get started?"

"Yes, please do," said Professor Umbridge, scribbling upon her clipboard with a vaguely sour face. The woman wandered around the students as Tyki taught, asking them several questions about magical creatures which a surprising amount got correct.

"Overall," said Professor Umbridge, returning to Tyki's side, "how do you, as a new member of staff — an objective outsider, I suppose you might say — how do you find Hogwarts? Do you feel you receive enough support from the school management?"

"The Headmaster has been rather impressive," His eyes lit up in admiration. "I must say that I am very pleased with the way he runs Hogwarts. It is very different from what I am used to, but in a very good way."

Looking politely incredulous, Umbridge made a tiny note on her clipboard and went on, "And what are you planning to cover with this class this year?"

"I plan to cover the creatures they will see on their O.W.L.s," said Tyki. " _Senhor_ Hagrid did an excellent job of preparing them so there is not much more that we will need to go over. We will be covering porlocks and kneazles in the next few weeks, and I want to make sure that they can recognize crups and knarls as well as a few others."

"Well, you seem to know what you're doing, at any rate," said Professor Umbridge, making a very obvious tick on her clipboard. Ellen turned towards Tyki with a happy smile. He had answered everything so well that the awful toad would have a hard time finding anything to critique.

She made her way next to him, poking at the bowtruckle he had in the palm of his hand. The creature swung its sharp fingertips at her and it would have scratched Tyki deeply had the thing's arm not passed through his hand as if it did not exist.

Ellen giggled to herself then frowned when she heard Umbridge speaking to Harry. "Another night's detention, I think." The woman said softly. "Thank you so much, Professor Mikk. It was a pleasure to observe your class. You will be receiving the results of your inspection within ten days."

"The pleasure is all mine." Tyki smirked, pulling a soft snort from Ellen. She watched Umbridge march back up to the castle, a sick feeling in her stomach when she realized what Harry would have to endure that night.

* * *

Ellen sat out of the couch with Ron and Hermione, a bowl of bright yellow murtlap essence in from of them. According the other two, Harry's injuries had only gotten worse the more that he had detention. The common room was empty except for them and the fire was still crackling away.

"So," Hermione said quietly. "Were were you last night Ellen?"

"I can't tell you." Ellen replied, refusing to make eye contact. "It could cause a lot of trouble for you if someone found out that you knew."

Harry's entrance interrupted whatever Hermione was going to say. The witch motioned for him to join them and pushed the small bowl towards him. "Here," She said anxiously, "soak your hand in that, it's a solution of strained and pickled murtlap tentacles, it should help."

His expression was relived when he set his bleeding hand in the bowl. "Thanks." He murmured, petting that awful orange cat behind the ears.

"I still reckon you should complain about this," said Ron in a low voice.

"No," said Harry flatly.

"McGonagall would go nuts if she knew —"

"Yeah, she probably would," said Harry. "And how long d'you reckon it'd take Umbridge to pass another Decree saying anyone who complains about the High Inquisitor gets sacked immediately?"

"She's an awful woman," said Hermione in a small voice. "Awful. You know, I was just saying to Ron earlier... we've got to do something about her."

"I suggested poison," said Ron grimly.

"No...I mean, something about what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we're not going to learn any defense from her at all," said Hermione.

"Well, what can we do about that?" said Ron, yawning. " 'S too late, isn't it? She got the job, she's here to stay, Fudge'll make sure of that."

"Well," said Hermione tentatively. "You know, I was thinking today..."

She shot a slightly nervous look at Harry and then plunged on, "I was thinking that — maybe the time's come when we should just — just do it ourselves."

"Do what ourselves?" said Harry suspiciously, still floating his hand in the essence of murtlap tentacles.

"Well — learn Defense Against the Dark Arts ourselves," said Hermione.

"Come off it," groaned Ron. "You want us to do extra work? D'you realize Harry and I are behind on homework again and it's only the second week?"

"But this is much more important than homework!" said Hermione. Harry and Ron goggled at her.

"I didn't think there was anything in the universe more important than homework," said Ron.

"Don't be silly, of course there is!" said Hermione. "It's about preparing ourselves, like Harry said in Umbridge's first lesson, for what's waiting out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves. If we don't learn anything for a whole year —"

"We can't do much by ourselves," said Ron in a defeated voice. "I mean, all right, we can go and look jinxes up in the library and try and practice them, I suppose —"

"No, I agree, we've gone past the stage where we can just learn things out of books," said Hermione. "We need a teacher, a proper one, who can show us how to use the spells and correct us if we're going wrong."

"If you're talking about Lupin..." Harry began.

"No, no, I'm not talking about Lupin," said Hermione. "He's too busy with the Order and anyway, the most we could see him is during Hogsmeade weekends and that's not nearly often enough."

"Who, then? Ellen?" said Harry, frowning at her.

Ellen sighed and shook her head. "They won't listen to me. None of them know anything about me, they won't respond well to a stranger coming in and trying to take control."

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione blurted about. "I'm talking about you, Harry. I'm talking about you teaching us Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"But I'm not a teacher, I can't —" He sputtered out

"Harry, you're the best in the year at Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione.

"Me?" said Harry, now grinning more broadly than ever. "No I'm not, you've beaten me in every test —"

"Actually, I haven't," said Hermione coolly. "You beat me in our third year — the only year we both sat the test and had a teacher who actually knew the subject. But I'm not talking about test results, Harry. Look what you've done!"

"How d'you mean?"

"You know what, I'm not sure I want someone this stupid teaching me," Ron said to Hermione, smirking slightly. He turned to Harry.

"Let's think," he said, pulling a face like Goyle concentrating. "Uh...first year — you saved the Stone from You-Know-Who."

"But that was luck," said Harry, "that wasn't skill —"

"Second year," Ron interrupted, "you killed the basilisk and destroyed Riddle."

"Yeah, but if Fawkes hadn't turned up I —"

"Third year," said Ron, louder still, "you fought off about a hundred dementors at once —"

"You know that was a fluke, if the Time-Turner hadn't —"

"Last year," Ron said, almost shouting now, "you fought off You-Know-Who again —"

"Listen to me!" said Harry, almost angrily. "Just listen to me, all right? It sounds great when you say it like that, but all that stuff was luck — I didn't know what I was doing half the time, I didn't plan any of it, I just did whatever I could think of, and I nearly always had help —"

"Don't sit there grinning like you know better than I do, I was there, wasn't I?" he said heatedly. "I know what went on, all right? And I didn't get through any of that because I was brilliant at Defense Against the Dark Arts, I got through it all because — because help came at the right time, or because I guessed right — but I just blundered through it all, I didn't have a clue what I was doing — STOP LAUGHING!You don't know what it's like! You've never had to face him, have you? You think it's just memorizing a bunch of spells and throwing them at him, like you're in class or something? The whole time you know there's nothing between you and dying except your own — your own brain or guts or whatever — like you can think straight when you know you're about a second from being murdered, or tortured, or watching your friends die — they've never taught us that in their classes, what it's like to deal with things like that — and you two sit there acting like I'm a clever little boy to be standing here, alive, like Diggory was stupid, like he messed up — you just don't get it, that could just as easily have been me, it would have been if Voldemort hadn't needed me —"

"We weren't saying anything like that, mate," said Ron, looking aghast. "We weren't having a go at Diggory, we didn't — you've got the wrong end of the —"

He looked helplessly at Hermione, whose face was stricken. "Harry," she said timidly, "don't you see? This...this is exactly why we need you...We need to know what it's r-really like...facing him...facing V-Voldemort."

"Please think about it, at least." Ellen finally spoke, her eyes trained firmly on the ground. "I know what it's like to face him. Hell, I know what it's like to face something far worse than Voldemort. But the rest of you, everyone else your age? They have no clue what they're going to have to face. You're the only one that can truly prepare them. This isn't just about you anymore. It's about every single one of them."

The boy nodded numbly. Ellen felt a flash of guilt before she steeled herself and stood up. "I'm off to bed." She said stiffly. "Hermione?"

Hermione stood up and joined Ellen, turning back to face the boys. "Erm...'night."

They walked up the stairs in silence and quietly changed into their pajamas. Ellen tossed her dress shirt between their beds without a thought and pulled the curtains closed around her bed, leaving Hermione alone with her thoughts. The curly haired witched sighed and leaned down to untie her shoes, pausing when she glanced over Ellen's shirt.

She reached out and picked the shirt up, running her fingers over the raised part spot of the shirt's cuff where it was all but hidden from view. Embroidered there in identical white thread were two letters, so small that Hermione almost hadn't noticed them.

 _T.M._

Hermione dropped the shirt back onto the ground and lay down in bed, a million thoughts running through her mind. She breathed deeply and let sleep surround her, finally quieting her thoughts.

* * *

 **Ellen is lowkey obsessed with Tyki and so am I. Sorry for the obscenely long chapter, but I had a lot to get out. Hopefully they'll be a bit shorter from now on, but I make no promises.**

* * *

 **I also want to apologize for the long delay! I've been in the hospital on and off for the past two weeks and there just wasn't time for me to edit. Hopefully it'll be enough for now :(**


	10. Chapter 10

The next two weeks passed in a blue. Hermione had not brought up the subject of Harry teaching since that night in the common room. Harry had continued to have detention thought it was finally over. Classes went on as normal; it was as if it was a perfectly average time at school and Ellen did not find herself complaining about it one bit. She had started to write back and forth to Jasdevit and Sheril, enjoying hearing from them after so long.

The subject was finally broached again one evening at the end of September. They had all gathered in the library to work on various projects and homework. The three were trying desperately to look up potions ingredients for Snape while Ellen was writing another long letter to Jasdevit.

"I was wondering," Hermione broke the silence, "whether you'd thought any more about Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry."

" 'Course I have," said Harry grumpily. "Can't forget it, can we, with that hag teaching us —"

"I meant the idea Ron and I had about you teaching us."

"Well," Harry said slowly, "yeah, I — I've thought about it a bit."

"And?" said Hermione eagerly.

"I dunno," said Harry, playing for time. He looked up at Ron.

"I thought it was a good idea from the start," Ron said, looking far more eager.

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "You did listen to what I said about a load of it being luck, didn'tyou?"

"Yes, Harry," said Hermione gently, "but all the same, there's no point pretending that you're not good at Defense Against the Dark Arts, because you are. You were the only person last year who could throw off the Imperius Curse completely, you can produce a Patronus, you can do all sorts of stuff that full-grown wizards can't, Viktor always said —"

"Yeah? What did Vicky say?" Ron said, a hint of mocking in his voice.

"Ho ho," said Hermione in a bored voice. "He said Harry knew how to do stuff even he didn't, and he was in the final year at Durmstrang."

Ron was looking at Hermione suspiciously. "You're not still in contact with him, are you?"

"So what if I am?" said Hermione coolly, though her face was a little pink. "I can have a pen pal if I —"

"He didn't only want to be your pen pal," said Ron accusingly.

Ellen snapped up from her letter. "Not the point, Ron. So what do you say Harry? You'll teach them?"

"Just you two, yeah?"

"Well," said Hermione, now looking a mite anxious again. "Well...now, don't fly off the handle again, Harry, please... But I really think you ought to teach anyone who wants to learn. I mean, we're talking about defending ourselves against V-Voldemort — oh, don't be pathetic, Ron — it doesn't seem fair if we don't offer the chance to other people."

Harry considered this for a moment, then said, "Yeah, but I doubt anyone except you two would want to be taught by me. I'm a nutter, remember?"

"Well, I think you might be surprised how many people would be interested in hearing what you've got to say," said Hermione seriously.

"Look," she leaned toward him, "you know the first weekend in October's a Hogsmeade weekend? How would it be if we tell anyone who's interested to meet us in the village and we can talk it over?"

"Why do we have to do it outside school?" said Ron.

"Because," said Hermione, "I don't think Umbridge would be very happy if she found out what we were up to."

Ellen leaned forward when Harry quietly brought up his fears about Sirius; what if he showed up during the weekend and someone recognized him?

"Well, you can't blame him for wanting to get out and about," said Ron. "I mean, he's been on the run for over two years, hasn't he, and I know that can't have been a laugh, but at least he was free, wasn't he? And now he's just shut up all the time with that lunatic elf."

"Look," Ellen started, "Until Voldemort is finally out in the open, he's going to have to keep hiding. It doesn't matter how much he likes it, it's what he has to do."

"I don't reckon he'd be stupid enough to turn up," said Ron bracingly. "Dumbledore'd go mad if he did and Sirius listens to Dumbledore even if he doesn't like what he hears."

When Harry continued to look worried, Hermione said, "Listen, Ron and I have been sounding out people who we thought might want to learn some proper Defense Against the Dark Arts, and there are a couple who seem interested. We've told them to meet us in Hogsmeade."

"Right," said Harry vaguely.

"Don't worry, Harry," Hermione said quietly. "You've got enough on your plate without Sirius too."

They left the library a few hours later. Ellen made an excuse about having a homework question and started making her way towards Tyki's office. She held in a groan when Hermione caught up to her, the other witch panting slightly.

"I have to ask you something." Hermione said. "And I don't want you to say that you aren't telling me."

"Ask away."

The witch took a deep breath. "Why do you have a shirt with Professor Mikk's monogram on it?"

Ellen stumbled and looked over at Hermione. "Come with me."

She wrapped her fingers around Hermione's wrist and quickly dragged the girl through the hall. She did not say a thing until they reached Tyki's door. The door swung open at her knock and she barged in with Hermione behind her. The other witch sat down on the plush chair in front of Tyki's desk; her facial expression became visibly tense when the professor locked the door.

He took a set behind his desk while Ellen sat on the very edge of it facing Hermione. "How did you know that it was Tyki's shirt?" Ellen said flatly.

"Well," Hermione started nervously. "I noticed it a few weeks when I picked up that shirt you threw next to my bed. It had T.M. monogramed onto the cuff but I thought that it might have been an old name that you used. When Professor Mikk was handing out woodlice last week I saw the same monogram on his sleeve and connected the dots."

The professor laughed heartily, earning a glare from the Noah on his desk. "You did say that she was clever _, menina_."

"This is serious, Tyki!" scolded Ellen. "Look, Hermione, this isn't what you think it is."

"I don't see how it can be anything else!" She said incredulously.

Ellen sighed deeply. "Hermione, Tyki is my _husband_."

The girl's jaw dropped and for the first time since Ellen had met her, she was completely speechless. "B-But how?" Hermione asked.

"You've heard me talk about him before, the name I used was Joyd though." She admitted. "Tyki is a Noah too. I've known him since I was 15 years old and we've been married since I was 17 years old."

"Does Dumbledore know that he's here? You said the others were dangerous!"

Tyki chuckled deeply. "The Headmaster was the one who hired me. He has been made aware of my... _species_ , so to say."

"They are dangerous." said Ellen. "But they're on our side. They've all agreed to help the Order, do you not get how huge this is?"

The curly haired witch said nothing. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute as she tried to make sense of everything she had just learned. All she could do was stare at where the girl she considered a friend was sitting, their professor looking at the girl like she hung the stars in the sky. Ellen sighed and grabbed Hermione's hand gently.

"You can't tell anyone about this." She said, staring into the witch's eyes. "If this was to get out the Ministry would have us locked up in a second. We don't have the same rights that wizards do. There are only six of us in existence right now, no one would notice if we all were chucked into Azkaban."

"As if that mortal prison could hold us." Tyki snorted. She reached back and smacked him upside the head.

" _Really_ not the time, love." said Ellen.

Hermione laughed at the sight before her. For such powerful, immortal beings, the Noah seemed so normal. They acted like any other old married couple that she knew. "I won't keep this from Harry and Ron. They deserve to know."

Ellen grinned widely. "No need to hide it from them, it'll only cause problems in the future if we do."

She hopped off the desk and looked at Hermione expectedly. The witch rose from her chair and went to the door, hesitating when Ellen did not join her. She looked back to see her friend and professor wrapped in a tight embrace. It was so painfully intimate that she forced herself to look away, ignoring the voice that told her that she wanted something like that.

Ellen kissed her husband firmly on the cheek and flounced over to where Hermione was waiting; she grabbed the other witch's wrist again and cheerfully walked through the halls. Once they got to the portrait she said the password quickly and pulled Hermione into the common room.

* * *

The boys were sitting by the fire playing a game of chess, Harry losing miserably. She walked up to them with Hermione in tow. "Harry, Ron, I've got something to tell you."

They looked up at her. "What is it?" asked Ron.

" 'Fraid I can't say it here." She replied cheerfully, like she was not about to reveal a huge secret. "I was thinking somewhere a little more private.

Harry gazed at her suspiciously, his eyes widening at the little nod she gave him. "C'mon mate, you'll want to see this."

They led the girls up the stairs into their dormitory, breathing a sigh of relief when it was completely empty. Ron and Hermione looked at Ellen oddly while she muttered the words under her breath. Their eyes widened when a glowing white circle appeared on the ground, a set of doors numbered '2' rising from the circle.

Ellen opened one of the doors and stepped through, poking her head back out. "Are you coming or what?"

The three quickly followed her in, Hermione gasping as she looked down on the town of the Ark from the same pavilion Ellen had taken Harry to.

The Noah grinned widely at her reaction. She gestured widely at the world around them. "Welcome to Noah's Ark."

"This is Noah's Ark?" Hermione gasped, her eyes wide. "But, how?"

Ellen waved her arm and the same large fountain that had appeared during Harry's visit grew from the ground. She plopped herself on the edge, inviting the others to join her. "One of my gifts as the Musician is that I control the Ark. It answers only to me."

"What's so special about this place?" Ron asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Honestly, Ronald, don't you read?" Hermione sighed. "Noah's Ark is said to be where humanity originated after the world flooded. This is where it all began."

"She's right." Ellen nodded, a small smile on her face. "This is the Noah's ancestral home. You're some of the first humans to set foot on it in fifteen years."

The four of them sat around for a while, enjoying the warm breeze and the smell of the salt water fountain. "So what did you need to tell us?" Harry asked.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was going to say. "There are other Noah at Hogwarts."

"Who?" Harry said angrily. "You said they were dangerous, why have't you done anything?"

"Because they're on our side now!" She snapped. Ellen shook her head and forced herself to calm down. "They're on our side, Harry. They're with the Order."

"Then who are they?" Ron asked.

"Professor Mikk is one." Ellen admitted. "The other is a Slytherin first year. She goes by Rebecca Campbell now, but her name is Rhode Kamelot."

"Professor Mikk?" exclaimed Harry, shock written all over his face.

Ellen smiled tightly. "Yes, though I'm sure he would prefer it if you all just called him Tyki. That's not everything though."

"You see, I've been alive for a very long time. You have to understand that things were very different when I was your age, people did things a lot sooner because they died so young." She said nervously. "Tyki is my husband."

The boys' jaws dropped in shock. "He's your what?" Ron said incredulously. "Bloody hell, is that even legal?"

"My husband." She said calmly. "We've been married since December of 1803. Again, you have to remember that things were so different. It wasn't uncommon for people to marry someone so much older than they were. I knew of girls forced to marry men old enough to be their fathers, so it wasn't that big of an age gap really."

The teens said nothing for a few minutes; they just sat there and let the information soak in. Not only were there more people like Ellen at Hogwarts, but she was married to a professor. "Why didn't you tell us this from the start?" Harry asked harshly. "What if someone had got hurt because you wanted to keep a secret?"

"Albus has known that Tyki is a Noah from the first day of class, and as soon as I knew that Rhode was here I let him know." She forced herself to remain calm. "This is something that is strictly a need-to-know basis. I was going to tell you all at Christmas when the Clan will be there, but Hermione figured something out so here we are."

"You still should have told us." Hermione said softly. "You can trust us."

"I know, that's why I'm telling you now." She said. "You need to know who these people are, they're our allies. Tyki Mikk is the Third, he's Rhode's uncle. Sheril, his biological older brother, is the Fourth and he's Rhode's adoptive father. Rhode is the Ninth, she's technically the oldest among us. Jasdevit is a little...different. They're two people, a set of twins named Jasdero and Devit. Together they're the Tenth and Eleventh."

"Which one are you?" Harry finally asked.

She took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm the Fourteenth. My memory wasn't even supposed to exist. The original Fourteenth was born thirty-five years before I was. He died the day that I was born and for some reason his memory chose me."

"You called Professor Mikk something else earlier. Joyd?" Hermione pointed out. "What does that even mean."

"Our memories all carry the name of the original. Tyki is Joyd, Sheril is Dezairu, Jasdevit is Bondom. Rhode, well, is Rhode. Whoever her host was let herself be swallowed by the memory so long ago that Rhode doesn't even remember the girl's name." Ellen looked out at the great white town. "I wouldn't recommend calling them by those names, except for Rhode. When you call a Noah's true name it fights to get to the surface and take control. Noah may be human, but our memories are not."

"Ellen," Hermione asked quietly. "What's your name? We can't avoid saying it if we don't know what it is."

She swallowed hard and stared at the ground, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "His name was Neah."

Harry's head shot up. He brushed his fingers over the ring sitting on his right hand. So the password to get into the Ark was her Noah's name? She met his eyes and smiled grimly, her face telling him everything that he needed to know. It made sense, really. It had been her Noah that had first gained control of the Ark, his name must be the only way into it for outsiders.

Ellen looked over at them and smiled when she saw that they were all looking out at the Ark. It really was the most beautiful place that she had ever been, and to be able to short with them was something that truly made her happy.

"I hope that you all realize that you can't tell anyone that you've been inside the Ark." She said. "There are people who wold use it for their own personal gain and I can't let that happen."

"Of course we do." Hermione said before the others could speak. "We promise we'll keep it a secret."

Ellen grinned and waved her hand, opening another gate. "Perfect. Well, that's really all I have to tell you. Now come on, time for us to go."

She hopped out of the gate, the sound of laughter trickling in from outside. The trio walked up to the gate and peered out to see what was happening. The gate led to the same office Hermione had been in only an hour ago, Ellen was laughing hysterically while Professor Mikk held a hand to his heart, obviously having been startled.

She looked back up at them and motioned for them to follow her. They each climbed out of the gate and into the office, the gate disappearing behind them. "You should go back to the tower, I'll see you in a few hours."

They all walked out of the office quickly, the sound of laughter echoing in their was so much new information for them to take in, and not much time.

* * *

The rest of the week passes quickly and before they knew it the Hogsmeade visit was upon them. The day was bright and windy as they set out towards the village. Filch had sniffed Harry oddly whenever they passed, leading the boy to launch into the tale of how the caretaker had accused him of sending off dung bombs whenever he wrote to Sirius.

They walked between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars and turned left onto the road into the village, the wind whipping their hair into their eyes.

"Where are we going anyway?" Harry asked. "The Three Broomsticks?"

"Oh — no," said Hermione, coming out of her reverie, "no, it's always packed and really noisy. I've told the others to meet us in the Hog's Head, that other pub, you know the one, it's not on the main road. I think it's a bit...you know...dodgy...but students don't normally go in there, so I don't think we'll be overheard."

They walked down the main street past Zonko's Joke Shop, where they were unsurprised to see Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, past the post office, from which owls issued at regular intervals, and turned up a side street at the top of which stood a small inn. A battered wooden sign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture upon it of a wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto the white cloth around it. The sign creaked in the wind as they approached. All three of them hesitated outside the door.

"Well, come on," said Hermione slightly nervously. Harry led the way inside.

It was not at all like the Three Broomsticks, whose large bar gave an impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. The Hog's Head bar comprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats. The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables. The floor seemed at first glance to be earthy, though as Ellen stepped onto it she realized that there was stone beneath what seemed to be the accumulated filth of centuries.

There was a man at the bar whose whole head was wrapped in dirty gray bandages, though he was still managing to gulp endless glasses of some smoking, fiery substance through a slit over his mouth. In a shadowy corner beside the fireplace sat a witch with a thick, black veil that fell to her toes. They could just see the tip of her nose because it caused the veil to protrude slightly.

"I don't know about this, Hermione," Harry muttered, as they crossed to the bar. He was looking particularly at the heavily veiled witch. "Has it occurred to you Umbridge might be under that?"

Hermione cast an appraising eye at the veiled figure. "Umbridge is shorter than that woman," she said quietly. "And

anyway, even if Umbridge does come in here there's nothing she can do to stop us, Harry, because I've double- and triple-checked the school rules. We're not out-of-bounds; I specifically asked Professor Flitwick whether students were allowed to come, and he said yes, but he advised me strongly to bring our own glasses. And I've looked up everything I can think of about study groups and homework groups and they're definitely allowed. I just don't think it's a good idea if we parade what we're doing."

"No," said Harry dryly, "especially as it's not exactly a homework group you're planning, is it?"

The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was a grumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long gray hair and beard. Ellen grinned mischievously at the man.

"What?" he grunted.

"Three butterbeers, please," said Hermione.

The man reached beneath the counter and pulled up three very dusty, very dirty bottles, which he slammed on the bar.

"Six Sickles," he said.

"I'll get them," said Harry quickly, passing over the silver. Harry, Ron, and Hermione retreated to the farthest table from the bar and sat down, looking at where Ellen was still standing at the bar.

"Didn't know you were still around, Aberforth." She said under her breath, passing him a pair of sickles when he slid her a firewhisky. The man simply glared at her until she walked away to join the other three.

"You know what?" Ron murmured, looking over at the bar with enthusiasm. "We could order anything we liked in here, I bet that bloke would sell us anything, he wouldn't care. I'd like to try firewhisky again, it —"

"You — are — a — prefect," snarled Hermione.

"And," Ellen interjected, settling down with said drink. "We don't want a repeat of last time, do we Ronny?"

"Oh," said Ron, the smile fading from his face. "Yeah..."

"So who did you say is supposed to be meeting us?" Harry asked, wrenching open the rusty top of his butterbeer and taking a swig.

"Just a couple of people," Hermione repeated, checking her watch and then looking anxiously toward the door. "I told them to be here about now and I'm sure they all know where it is — oh look, this might be them now —"

The door of the pub had opened. A thick band of dusty sunlight split the room in two for a moment and then vanished, blocked by the incoming rush of a crowd of people. First came Neville with Dean and Lavender, who were closely followed by the Patil twins and that Cho girl. Luna Lovegood wandered in a moment later, quickly followed by at least twenty people.

"A couple of people?" said Harry hoarsely to Hermione. "A couple of people?"

"Yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular," said Hermione happily. "Ron, do you want to pull up some more chairs?"

"Hi," said Fred, reaching the bar first and counting his companions quickly. Aberforth eyed him grumpily, somewhat in shock at how many people were in his pub. "Could we have...twenty-five butterbeers, please?"

The barman glared at him for a moment, then, throwing down his rag irritably as though he had been interrupted in something very important, he started passing up dusty butterbeers from under the bar.

"Cheers," said Fred, handing them out. "Cough up, everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these..."

She and Harry watched as the large group collected their drinks and passed the twin coins. While they were preoccupied with that, she noticed the door open again and held in a groan. Rhode's short form was standing in the doorway before making a beeline for the four.

"Hey Allen!" She chirped, wrapping the larger girl in a tight hug. "You wouldn't believe how hard it was to sneak out of that castle! I had to use my gates to get out."

Ellen blinked in surprise. "I told you not to call me that! And what the bloody hell are you doing here? How did you even hear about it?"

"Because I listen, duh." Rhode giggled. "Are you going to introduce me to your little friends or not?"

She groaned loudly and turned back to the trio. "Harry, Ron, Hermione this is _Rebecca_ ," She said through gritted teeth. "I told you about her earlier this week."

The three froze, staring at the tiny first year that Ellen had said was so powerful. "It's nice to meet you Rebecca." Hermione said politely. Harry continued to look out at the crowd before turning to Hermione

"What have you been telling people?" he said in a low voice. "What are they expecting?"

"I've told you, they just want to hear what you've got to say," said Hermione soothingly; but Harry continued to look at her so furiously that she added quickly, "You don't have to do anything yet, I'll speak to them first."

"Hi, Harry," said Neville, beaming and taking a seat opposite Harry. Rhode was swinging her feet back and forth in the too large seat, grinning widely at Ellen. She reached out and grabbed her glass of firewhisky and took a swig, making a disgusted face. Ellen laughed loudly at it and ruffled the Noah's hair.

In twos and threes the new arrivals settled around them, some looking rather excited, others curious, Luna Lovegood gazing dreamily into space. When everybody had pulled up a chair, the chatter died out. Every eye was upon Harry.

"Er," said Hermione, her voice slightly higher than usual out of nerves. "Well — er — hi."

The group focused its attention on her instead, though eyes continued to dart back regularly to Harry. "Well...erm...well, you know why you're here. Erm...well, Harry here had the idea — I mean" — Harry had thrown her a sharp look — "I had the idea — that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts — and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us" — Hermione's voice became suddenly much stronger and more confident — "because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts, well, I thought it would be good if we took matters into our own hands."

She paused, looked sideways at Harry, and went on, "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells —"

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. too though, I bet?" called out one of the boys in the crowd.

"Of course I do," said Hermione at once. "But I want more than that, I want to be properly trained in Defense because...because..." She took a great breath and finished, "Because Lord Voldemort's back."

"Well...that's the plan anyway," said Hermione. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to —"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said the blond Hufflepuff player in a rather aggressive voice.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it —" Hermione began.

"You mean, Dumbledore believes him," said the blond boy, nodding at Harry.

"Who are you?" said Ron rather rudely.

"Zacharias Smith," said the boy, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

"Look," said Hermione, intervening swiftly, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about —"

"It's okay, Hermione," said Harry.

"What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" he asked, looking Zacharias straight in the face. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

Zacharias said dismissively, "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know —"

"If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you," Harry said. "I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."

"So," said Hermione, her voice very high-pitched again. "So... like I was saying...if you want to learn some defense, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet, and where we're going to —"

"Is it true," interrupted the girl with the long plait down her back, looking at Harry, "that you can produce a Patronus?"

"Yeah," said Harry slightly defensively.

"A corporeal Patronus?"

"Er — you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" he asked. The girl smiled.

"She's my auntie," she said. "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So — is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" demanded Terry Boot. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year..."

"Er — yeah, I did, yeah," said Harry.

"Look," he said and everyone fell silent at once, "I...I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but...I had a lot of help with all that stuff..."

Arguments broke out when everyone began discussing Harry's accomplishments, everyone insisting something different. Hermione cleared her throat loudly, catching their attention.

"Yes, well," said Hermione hastily, "moving on...the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?"

There was a murmur of general agreement.

"Right," said Hermione, looking relieved that something had at last been settled. "Well, then, the next question is how often we do it. I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once a week —"

"Hang on," said Angelina, "we need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice."

"No," said Cho, "nor with ours."

"Nor ours," added Zacharias Smith.

"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone," said Hermione, slightly impatiently, "but you know, this is rather important, we're talking about learning to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort's Death Eaters —"

"Well said!" barked Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff that Ellen had spoken to a few times before. "Personally I think this is really important, possibly more important than anything else we'll do this year, even with our O.W.L.s coming up!"

When nobody spoke, he went on, "I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher upon us at this critical period. Obviously they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells —"

"We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione, "is that she's got some... some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilize us against the Ministry."

Nearly everybody looked stunned at this news; everybody except Luna Lovegood, who piped up, "Well, that makes sense. After all, Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army."

"What?" Harry exclaimed.

"Yes, he's got an army of heliopaths," said Luna solemnly.

"No, he hasn't," snapped Hermione.

"Yes, he has," said Luna.

"What are heliopaths?" asked Neville, looking blank.

"They're spirits of fire," said Luna, her protuberant eyes widening so that she looked madder than ever. "Great tall flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of —"

"They don't exist, Neville," said Hermione tartly.

"Oh yes they do!" said Luna angrily.

"I'm sorry, but where's the proof of that?" snapped Hermione.

"There are plenty of eyewitness accounts, just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you —"

"Hem, hem," said Ginny in such a good imitation of Professor Umbridge that several people looked around in alarm and then laughed. "Weren't we trying to decide how often we're going to meet and get Defense lessons?"

"Yes," said Hermione at once, "yes, we were, you're right..."

"Well, once a week sounds cool," said Lee Jordan.

"As long as —" began Angelina.

"Yes, yes, we know about the Quidditch," said Hermione in a tense voice. "Well, the other thing to decide is where we're going to meet..."

This was rather more difficult; the whole group fell silent. Harry glanced over at Ellen to see her stiff as a board, mismatched hangs gripping the table tightly.

"Library?" suggested Katie Bell after a few moments.

"I can't see Madam Pince being too chuffed with us doing jinxes in the library," said Harry.

"Maybe an unused classroom?" said Dean.

"Yeah," said Ron, "McGonagall might let us have hers, she did when Harry was practicing for the Triwizard..."

"Right, well, we'll try to find somewhere," said Hermione. "We'll send a message round to everybody when we've got a time and a place for the first meeting."

She rummaged in her bag and produced parchment and a quill, then hesitated, rather as though she was steeling herself to say something. "I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think," she took a deep breath, "that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you

sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge — or anybody else — what we're up to."

Fred reached out for the parchment and cheerfully put down his signature, but Ellen noticed at once that several people looked less than happy at the prospect of putting their names on the list. There were a few protests, but soon everyone was signing. Ellen and Rhode managed to avoid having the paper passed to them, looking at each other in agreement that they would actually discuss it with Hermione.

When the last person — Zacharias — had signed, Hermione took the parchment back and slipped it carefully into her bag. There was an odd feeling in the group now. It was as though they had just signed some kind of contract.

"Well, time's ticking on," said Fred briskly, getting to his feet. "George, Lee, and I have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase, we'll be seeing you all later."

In twos and threes the rest of the group took their leave too. Soon everyone was gone, leaving the trio plus Rhode and Ellen in the pub. Ellen downed the rest of her drink and stood, following the others out.

"Well, I think that went quite well," said Hermione happily, as they walked out into the bright sunlight a few moments later, Harry and Ron still clutching their bottles of butterbeer.

"That Zacharias bloke's a wart," said Ron, who was glowering after the figure of Smith just discernible in the distance.

"I don't like him much either," admitted Hermione, "but he overheard me talking to Ernie and Hannah at the Hufflepuff table and he seemed really interested in coming, so what could I say? But the more people the better really.."

"You should have just Obliviated him." Rhode chirped from where she was skipping next to Ellen. "It makes things so much easier~"

Ellen rolled her eyes. "Don't you need to get back to the castle, _Rebecca?_ "

"Fine," Rhode pouted. "But you have to bring me back some candy! I want blood pops!"

"I will, now go!" Ellen all but shoved her into the alley.

She grit her teeth when she heard Rhode call out "Bye Allen!"

The trio peeked back into the alley, confused at the dead end. Ellen smiled and shook her head, pulling them along with her. "I'm sure she's already back in the castle. Rhode has her own gifts."

She spotted Zonko's ahead and walked in, waving goodbye to her friends while she fulfilled her end of the deal she made.

* * *

The rest of the weekend passed with relative ease. Once she was able to get Rhode her candy, Ellen spent the majority of her free time with Hermione and the doxy that was content to stay in her dormitory now. Late Sunday afternoon found her outside with the boys. They worked on their homework while Ellen just allowed herself to take in the warm sunlight.

Sunset was approaching when they finally headed inside and back to the common room. They were halfway through the room when they noticed that everyone was gathered around the notice board. Upon further inspection they saw that there was a large sign attached to it.

The new sign was printed in large black letters and there was a highly official-looking seal at the bottom beside a neat and curly signature.

 _— by order of —_

 _The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts  
_ _All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and  
_ _Clubs are henceforth disbanded._

 _An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby  
_ _defined as a regular meeting of three or more students._

 _Permission to re-form may be sought from the High  
_ _Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge)._

 _No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club  
_ _may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High  
_ _Inquisitor._

 _Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an  
_ _Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not  
_ _been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled._

 _The above is in accordance with  
_ _Educational Decree Number Twenty-four._

 _Signed:  
_ _High Inquisitor, Dolores Umbridge_

"This isn't a coincidence," Harry said, his hands forming fists. "She knows."

"She can't," said Ron at once.

"There were people listening in that pub. And let's face it, we don't know how many of the people who turned up we can trust...Any of them could have run off and told Umbridge..."

"Zacharias Smith!" said Ron at once, punching a fist into his hand.

"I wonder if Hermione's seen this yet?" Harry said, looking around at the door to the girls' dormitories.

"Let's go and tell her," said Ron. He bounded forward, pulled open the door, and set off up the spiral staircase before Ellen could warn him. He was on the sixth stair when it happened. There was a loud, wailing sound and the steps melted together to make a long, smooth stone slide. There was a brief moment when Ron tried to keep running, arms working madly like windmills, then he toppled over backward and shot down the newly created slide, coming to rest on his back at their feet.

"Er — I don't think we're allowed in the girls' dormitories," said Harry, pulling Ron to his feet and trying not to laugh.

Two fourth-year girls came zooming gleefully down the stone slide. "Oooh, who tried to get upstairs?" they giggled happily, leaping to their feet and ogling Harry and Ron.

"Me," said Ron, who was still rather disheveled. "I didn't realize that would happen. It's not fair!" he added. "Hermione's allowed in our dormitory, how come we're not allowed — ?"

"Well, it's an old-fashioned rule," said Hermione, who had just slid neatly onto a rug in front of them and was now getting to her feet, "but it says in Hogwarts, A History that the founders thought boys were less trustworthy than girls. Anyway, why were you trying to get in there?"

"To see you — look at this!" said Ron, dragging her over to the notice board. Hermione's eyes slid rapidly down the notice. Her expression became stony.

"Someone must have blabbed to her!" Ron said angrily.

"They can't have done," said Hermione in a low voice.

"You're so naive," said Ron, "you think just because you're all honorable and trustworthy —"

"No, they can't have done because I put a jinx on that piece of parchment we all signed," said Hermione grimly. "Believe me, if anyone's run off and told Umbridge, we'll know exactly who they are and they will really regret it."

"This is exactly why Rhode and I _didn't_ sign that." Ellen grumbled. "You can't just go around jinxing people."

"What'll happen to them?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well, put it this way," said Hermione, "it'll make Eloise Midgen's acne look like a couple of cute freckles. Come on, let's get down to breakfast and see what the others think...I wonder whether this has been put up in all the Houses?"

It was immediately apparent on entering the Great Hall that Umbridge's sign had not only appeared in Gryffindor Tower. There was a peculiar intensity about the chatter and an extra measure of movement in the Hall as people scurried up and down their tables conferring on what they had read. Harry, Ron, Ellen, and Hermione had barely

taken their seats when Neville, Dean, Fred, George, and Ginny descended upon them.

"Did you see it?"

"D'you reckon she knows?" "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to do it anyway, of course," he said quietly.

"Knew you'd say that," said George, beaming and thumping Harry on the arm.

"The prefects as well?" said Fred, looking quizzically at Ron and Hermione.

"Of course," said Hermione coolly.

"Bet Umbridge is in History of Magic," said Ron grimly, as they set off for Binns's lesson. "She hasn't inspected Binns yet...Bet you anything she's there..."

But he was wrong; the only teacher present when they entered was Professor Binns, floating an inch or so above his chair as usual and preparing to continue his monotonous drone on giant wars. Hermione looked out the window and nudged Harry. They all looked up to see his snowy white owl sitting there, tapping on the window.

Harry slipped quietly off his chair, crouched down, and hurried along the row to the window, where he slid the

catch and opened it very slowly. He removed the letter and brought her into his lap, frowning when he noticed her feathers were oddly ruffled; some were bent the wrong way, and she was holding one of her wings at an odd angle.

"She's hurt!" Harry whispered, bending his head low over her. "Look — there's something wrong with her wing —"

Hedwig was quivering; when Harry made to touch the wing she gave a little jump, all her feathers on end as though she was inflating herself, and gazed at him reproachfully.

"Professor Binns," said Harry loudly, and everyone in the class turned to look at him. "I'm not feeling well."

"Not feeling well?" he repeated hazily.

"Not at all well," said Harry firmly, getting to his feet while concealing Hedwig behind his back. "So I think I'll need to go to the hospital wing."

"I'll go with him!" Ellen leapt up, her mouth set in a grim line.

"Yes," said Professor Binns, clearly very much wrong-footed. "Yes...yes, hospital wing...well, off you go, then, Perkins..."

Harry looked out the window when they left, obviously looking for something. He made a frustrated noise and took off down the hallway, Ellen having to jog to keep up. He led them to the staffroom, knocking loudly.

"You haven't been given another detention!" McGonagall opened the door, her square spectacles flashing alarmingly.

"No, Professor!" said Harry hastily.

"Well then, why are you out of class?"

"I'm looking for Professor Mikk," Harry explained. "It's my owl, she's injured."

"Injured owl, hm?" Tyki appeared at Professor McGonagall's shoulder, pulling his curly hair back into a low ponytail. He looked behind Harry to see Ellen, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yes," said Harry, lifting Hedwig carefully off his shoulder, "she turned up after the other post owls and her wing's all funny, look —"

Tyki finished tying off his hair and took Hedwig from Harry while Professor McGonagall watched. "It looks like something has attacked her. I would say thestral, but the ones here at Hogwarts are so well trained.."

Professor McGonagall looked sharply at Harry and said, "Do you know how far this owl's traveled, Potter?"

"Er," said Harry. "From London, I think."

Tyki pulled out a pair of glasses and set them on his face, leaning in to inspect the owl's wing. "I can help her, but it will take a few days." He said, tucking his glasses away. "And you should keep her from flying long distances for the week. We would not want this beautiful lady hurting any more."

He rubbed the top of the owl's head lightly before reaching down and handing Harry the letter from her leg. Tyki looked at he and Ellen with a startling amount of seriousness. "You should be more careful, you never know who might be reading your letters."

He walked out past them with the owl, glancing back once. Ellen smiled at him and grabbed Harry's wrist pulling him away from the staffroom

"Who's the letter from anyway?" asked Ron, taking the note from Harry when they finally caught up with them.

"Snuffles," said Harry quietly.

" 'Same time, same place'? Does he mean the fire in the common room?"

"Obviously," said Hermione, also reading the note. She looked uneasy. "I just hope nobody else has read this..."

"But it was still sealed and everything," said Harry. "And nobody would understand what it meant if they didn't know where we'd spoken to him before, would they?"

"I don't know," said Hermione anxiously, hitching her bag back over her shoulder as the bell rang again. "It wouldn't be exactly difficult to reseal the scroll by magic...And if anyone's watching the Floo Network...but I don't really see how we can warn him not to come without that being intercepted too!"

* * *

They trudged down the stone steps to the dungeons for Potions, all four of them lost in thought. They took their usual seats at the back of the class and pulled out parchment, quills, and their copies of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Snape closed the dungeon door with an echoing bang.

"You will notice," said Snape in his low, sneering voice, "that we have a guest with us today."

He gestured toward the dim corner of the dungeon, and they saw Professor Umbridge sitting there, clipboard on her knee."We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend — instructions" — he waved his wand again — "on the board. Carry on."

"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," Umbridge said after a observing for a while, briskly walking to Snape's back. "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."

Snape straightened up slowly and turned to look at her.

"Now...how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" she asked, her quill poised over her clipboard.

"Fourteen years," Snape replied. His expression was unfathomable.

"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked Snape.

"Yes," said Snape quietly.

"But you were unsuccessful?"

Snape's lip curled. "Obviously."

Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard. "And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"

"Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry.

"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge.

"I suggest you ask him," said Snape jerkily.

"Oh I shall," said Professor Umbridge with a sweet smile.

"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed.

"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge. "Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers' — er — backgrounds..."

She turned away, walked over to Pansy Parkinson and began questioning her about the lessons. Snape walked over to their table and sneered at Harry's admittedly terrible potion.

"No marks again, then, Potter," said Snape maliciously, emptying Harry's cauldron with a wave of his wand. "You will write me an essay on the correct composition of this potion, indicating how and why you went wrong, to be handed in next lesson, do you understand?"

"Yes," said Harry furiously. Their class ended quickly and before they knew it they were in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Good afternoon, class."

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted drearily.

"Wands away, please..."

But there was no answering flurry of movement this time; nobody had bothered to take out their wands.

"Please turn to page thirty-four of Defensive Magical Theory and read the third chapter, entitled 'The Case for Non-Offensive Responses to Magical Attack.' There will be —"

"— no need to talk," The four said under their breath.

* * *

"No Quidditch practice," Ellen heard Angelina say hollowly when they finally entered the common room. She shrugged and settled in one of the chairs by the fire. She reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of parchment and a bent quill. Jasdevit were waiting on her reply in the next couple of days, she really needed to get on it.

"Well," said Hermione when they walked over to where Ellen as sitting, "look on the bright side — at least now you'll have time to do Snape's essay!"

"That's a bright side, is it?" snapped Harry. "No Quidditch practice and extra Potions?"

Harry slumped down into a chair, dragged his Potions essay reluctantly from his bag, and set to work. It was hours before the common room finally cleared. She had long finished writing her letter and was now sketching absentmindedly in the sketchbook Tyki had given her. Ron was dozing away lightly when he woke with a grunt.

"Sirius!" They all whipped around towards the fire; Ellen grinned widely when she saw his untidy dark head sitting in the fireplace.

"Hi," he said, grinning.

"Hi," chorused Harry, Ron, Ellen, and Hermione, all four kneeling down upon the hearthrug.

"How're things?" said Sirius.

"Not that good," said Harry. "The Ministry's forced through another decree, which means we're not allowed to have Quidditch teams —"

"— or secret Defense Against the Dark Arts groups?" said Sirius. There was a short pause.

"How did you know about that?" Harry demanded.

"You want to choose your meeting places more carefully," said Sirius, grinning still more broadly. "The Hog's Head, I ask you..."

"Well, it was better than the Three Broomsticks!" said Hermione defensively. "That's always packed with people —"

"— which means you'd have been harder to overhear," said Sirius. "You've got a lot to learn, Hermione."

"Who overheard us?" Harry demanded.

"Mundungus, of course," said Sirius, and when they all looked puzzled he laughed. "He was the witch under the veil."

"That was Mundungus?" Harry said, stunned. "What was he doing?"

"What do you think he was doing?" said Sirius impatiently. "Keeping an eye on you, of course."

"I'm still being followed?" asked Harry angrily.

"Yeah, you are," said Sirius, "and just as well, isn't it, if the first thing you're going to do on your weekend off is organize an illegal defense group."

Ellen frowned at Sirius. She was supposed to be the one that was in charge of keeping Harry safe, so why were they still sending guards to watch him? But he looked neither angry nor worried; on the contrary, he was looking at Harry with distinct pride.

"Why was Dung hiding from us?" asked Ron, sounding disappointed.

"We'd've liked to've seen him."

"He was banned from the Hog's Head twenty years ago," said Sirius, "and that barman's got a long memory. We lost Moody's spare Invisibility Cloak when Sturgis was arrested, so Dung's been dressing as a witch a lot lately...Anyway...First of all, Ron — I've sworn to pass on a message from your mother."

"Oh yeah?" said Ron, sounding apprehensive.

"She says on no account whatsoever are you to take part in an illegal secret Defense Against the Dark Arts group. She says you'll be expelled for sure and your future will be ruined. She says there will be plenty of time to learn how to defend yourself later and that you are too young to be worrying about that right now. She also" — Sirius's eyes turned to the other two — "advises Harry and Hermione not to proceed with the group, though she accepts that she has no authority over either of them and simply begs them to remember that she has their best interests at heart. She would have written all this to you, but if the owl had been intercepted you'd all have been in real trouble, and she can't say it for herself because she's on duty tonight."

"On duty doing what?" said Ron quickly.

"Never you mind, just stuff for the Order," said Sirius. "So it's fallen to me to be the messenger and make sure you tell her I passed it all on, because I don't think she trusts me to."

"Aww, no advice for me?" Ellen teased. "And here I thought Molly cared."

"So you want me to say I'm not going to take part in the defense group?" Harry muttered.

"Me? Certainly not!" said Sirius, looking surprised. "I think it's an excellent idea!"

"You do?" said Harry, his heart lifting.

"Of course I do!" said Sirius. "D'you think your father and I would've lain down and taken orders from an old hag like Umbridge?"

"But — last term all you did was tell me to be careful and not take risks —"

"Last year all the evidence was that someone inside Hogwarts was trying to kill you, Harry!" said Sirius impatiently. "This year we know that there's someone outside Hogwarts who'd like to kill us all, so I think learning to defend yourselves properly is a very good idea!"

"And if we do get expelled?" Hermione asked, a quizzical look on her face.

"Hermione, this whole thing was your idea!" said Harry, staring at her.

"I know it was...I just wondered what Sirius thought," she said, shrugging.

"Well, better expelled and able to defend yourselves than sitting safely in school without a clue," said Sirius.

"Hear, hear," said Harry and Ron enthusiastically.

"So," said Sirius, "how are you organizing this group? Where are you meeting?"

"Well, that's a bit of a problem now," said Harry. "Dunno where we're going to be able to go..."

"And we are _not_ using the Ark." Ellen said firmly. "I don't want a bunch of humans mucking around in there with no clue as to what they're doing."

"How about the Shrieking Shack?" suggested Sirius.

"Hey, that's an idea!" said Ron excitedly, but Hermione made a skeptical noise and all four of them looked at her, Sirius's head turning in the flames.

"Well, Sirius, it's just that there were only four of you meeting in the Shrieking Shack when you were at school," said Hermione, "and all of you could transform into animals and I suppose you could all have squeezed under a single Invisibility Cloak if you'd wanted to. But there are twenty-eight of us and none of us is an Animagus, so we wouldn't need so much an Invisibility Cloak as an Invisibility Marquee —"

"Fair point," said Sirius, looking slightly crestfallen. "Well, I'm sure you'll come up with somewhere...There used to be a pretty roomy secret passageway behind that big mirror on the fourth floor, you might have enough space to practice jinxes in there —"

"Fred and George told me it's blocked," said Harry, shaking his head. "Caved in or something."

"Oh..." said Sirius, frowning. "Well, I'll have a think and get back to —"

He broke off. His face was suddenly tense, alarmed. He turned sideways, apparently looking into the solid brick wall of the fireplace.

"Sirius?" said Harry anxiously.

But he had vanished. Harry gaped at the flames for a moment, then turned to look at Ron and Hermione.

"Why did he — ?" Hermione gave a horrified gasp and leapt to her feet, still staring at the fire. A hand had appeared amongst the flames, groping as though to catch hold of something; a stubby, short-fingered hand covered in ugly old-fashioned rings...

The four of them ran for it; at the door of the boys' dormitory they looked back. Umbridge's hand was still making snatching movements amongst the flames, as though she knew exactly where Sirius's hair had been moments before and was determined to seize it.

* * *

 **YA GIRL IS BACK, WHO MISSED ME?**

 **It's been a crazy two weeks. I was in the hospital and I turned 21 this past Saturday so I wasn't in the state to do much editing lately. As usual, if you have any questions I answer every single review. And if you'd like an updates or just general stupidity my tumblr name is pansyparkinsxnn**

 **pansyparkinsxnn . tumblr . com (just remove the spaces!)**


	11. Chapter 11

The Charms room was filled with students and bullfrogs that day, a heavy downpour pounding on the roof outside. They spent the entire class-time attempting the lesson, only hermione and Ellen succeeding in the end.

They were allowed to remain inside over break due to the downpour outside. They found seats in a noisy and overcrowded classroom on the first floor in which Peeves was floating dreamily up near the chandelier, occasionally blowing an ink pellet at the top of somebody's head. They had barely sat down when Angelina came struggling toward them through the groups of gossiping students.

"I've got permission!" she said. "To re-form the Quidditch team!"

"Excellent!" said Ron and Harry together.

"Yeah," said Angelina, beaming. "I went to McGonagall and I think she might have appealed to Dumbledore — anyway, Umbridge had to give in. So I want you down at the pitch at seven o'clock tonight."

She squeezed away from them, narrowly dodged an ink pellet from Peeves, which hit a nearby first year instead, and vanished from sight. Ron's smile slipped slightly as he looked out of the window, which was now opaque with hammering rain.

"Hope this clears up...What's up with you, Hermione?"

She too was gazing at the window, but not as though she really saw it. Her eyes were unfocused and there was a frown on her face.

"Just thinking..." she said, still frowning at the rain-washed window.

"About Siri...Snuffles?" said Harry.

"No...not exactly..." said Hermione slowly. "More...wondering...I suppose we're doing the right thing...I think...aren't we?"

"Of course we are." Ellen replied calmly. "Even Snuffles thinks it's a good idea."

"Yes," said Hermione, staring at the window again. "Yes, that's what made me think maybe it wasn't a good idea after all..."

"Let's get this straight," said Harry angrily, "Sirius agrees with us, so you don't think we should do it anymore?"

Hermione looked tense and rather miserable. Now staring at her own hands she said, "Do you honestly trust his judgment?"

"Yes, I do!" said Harry at once. "He's always given us great advice!"

"You don't think he has become...sort of...reckless...since he's been cooped up in Grimmauld Place? You don't think he's... kind of...living through us?"

"What d'you mean, 'living through us'?" Harry retorted.

"I mean...well, I think he'd love to be forming secret defense societies right under the nose of someone from the Ministry...I think he's really frustrated at how little he can do where he is...so I think he's keen to kind of...egg us on."

Ellen looked at Hermione in surprise. "Are you daft? The Order is literally a secret society and besides, Paddy has _always_ been reckless but he wouldn't encourage us to do anything that he didn't think was right."

Hermione huffed to herself and turned back to her reading, obviously irritated at the entire situation.

* * *

Their robes billowed and swirled around them as they splashed across the flooded vegetable patch to double Herbology, where they could hardly hear what Professor Sprout was saying over the hammering of raindrops hard as hailstones on the greenhouse roof. The afternoon's Care of Magical Creatures lesson was to be relocated from the stormswept grounds to a free classroom on the ground floor and, to their intense relief, Angelina sought out her team at lunch to tell them that Quidditch practice was canceled.

Together with Ron they had spent most of the day seeking out those people who had signed their names to the list and telling them where to meet that evening. It was Ellen who ended up having to brave the dungeons let Rhode know, who only smirked it response.

At half-past seven Harry, Ron, Ellen and Hermione left the Gryffindor common room, Harry clutching a certain piece of aged parchment in his hand. The nervousness in the air was almost palpable, everyone glancing around as if they expected someone to pop out any second.

They hurried along the corridor to the place a house elf had described to Harry, a stretch of blank wall opposite an enormous tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy's foolish attempt to train trolls for the ballet.

"Okay," said Harry quietly. "Dobby said to walk past this bit of wall three times, concentrating hard on what we need."

They did so, turning sharply at the window just beyond the blank stretch of wall, then at the man-size vase on its other side. Ron had screwed up his eyes in concentration, Ellen was mouthing something to herself, Hermione was whispering something under her breath, Harry's fists were clenched as he stared ahead of him.

"Harry," said Hermione sharply, as they wheeled around after their third walk past. A highly polished door had appeared in the wall. Ron was staring at it, looking slightly wary. Harry reached out, seized the brass handle, pulled open the door, and led the way into a spacious white room that seemed lit from within. The walls were lined with large white columns and stone bookcases, and instead of chairs there were large silk cushions on the floor. A set of shelves at the far end of the room carried a range of instruments such as Sneakoscopes, Secrecy Sensors, and a large, cracked Foe-Glass.

"These will be good when we're practicing Stunning," said Ron enthusiastically, prodding one of the cushions with his foot.

"And just look at these books!" said Hermione excitedly, running a finger along the spines of the large leather-bound tomes. "A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions...The Dark Arts Outsmarted...Self-Defensive Spellwork...wow..."

She looked around at Harry, her face glowing, and he saw that the presence of hundreds of books had finally convinced Hermione that what they were doing was right. "Harry, this is wonderful, there's everything we need here!"

"It looks like the Ark.." Ellen breathed out. "I wonder.."

She waved her hand as if it was the Ark, delight filling her as a wall off mirrors rose up letting them see the door from whatever position they might have been in. There was a gentle knock on the door. They all looked up; Ginny, Neville, Lavender, Parvati, and Dean had arrived. "Whoa," said Dean, staring around, impressed. "What is this place?"

"I like it, it looks like home." Rhode piped up while she closed the door behind her. Lavender and Parvati wrinkled their noses when they took in the Slytherin tie that was hanging loosely around the small girl's neck.

Lavender scowled slightly. "What are you doing here, snake?"

The tiny Noah waved her off and went to settle in Ellen's lap, cuddling close. "I was invited, obviously."

"I've known Rebecca's family for a very long time," Ellen explained, pinching Rhode's side when she giggled. "She won't tell anyone about this."

"Ellen's my auntie~" Rhode giggled in delight at Lavender's pinched expression.

Parvati grabbed Lavender's arm and dragged her away before she could continue on with the argument. Ellen rolled her eyes at the whole situation and rested her head on top of Rhode's head, letting the small girl cuddle close to her. It was something they had always done even back when Ellen was still an exorcist. Rhode was very physically affectionate when it came to her aunt and she just couldnt find it in her to deny the girl such a small human comfort.

By the time eight o'clock arrived, people had stopped coming and every cushion was occupied. Harry moved across to the door and turned the key protruding from the lock; it clicked in a satisfyingly loud way and everybody fell silent, looking at him.

"Well," said Harry, slightly nervously. "This is the place we've found for practices, and you've — er — obviously found it okay —"

"It's fantastic!" said Cho, and several people murmured their agreement.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and — er —" He noticed a raised hand. "What, Hermione?"

"I think we ought to elect a leader," said Hermione.

"Harry's leader," said Cho at once, her nose crinkled in displeasure.

"Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly," said Hermione, unperturbed. "It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So — everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Everybody put up their hands, even the Hufflepuff who seemed to have a retort for every situation.

"Er — right, thanks," said Harry, his face pink. "And — what, Hermione?"

"I also think we ought to have a name," she said brightly, her hand still in the air. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" said Angelina hopefully.

"Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?" suggested Fred.

"I was thinking," said Hermione, frowning at Fred, "more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings."

"The Defense Association?" said Cho. "The D.A. for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"Yeah, the D.A.'s good," said Ginny. "Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?"

"All in favor of the D.A.?" said Hermione bossily, kneeling up on her cushion to count. "That's a majority — motion passed!" She pinned the piece of paper with all of their names on it on the wall and wrote **_DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY_** across the top in large letters.

"Right," said Harry, when she had sat down again, "shall we get practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful —"

"Oh please," said Zacharias Smith, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"I've used it against him," said Harry quietly. "It saved my life last June." Smith opened his mouth stupidly. The rest of the room was very quiet.

"But if you think it's beneath you, you can leave," Harry said. Smith did not move. Nor did anybody else.

"Okay," said Harry, "I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practice."

Rhode immediately rose and grabbed Ellen's arm in a firm grip, dragging her off to a separate corner. With Harry's shout of "Begin!" the girl's facial expression told Ellen they wouldn't be practicing Expelliarmus.

 _"Expulso!_ " Rhode exclaimed, sending a bright blue curse flying. Ellen cursed and jumped out of the way as the wall behind her repaired itself, holding her wand firmly.

"So that's how we're going to do this?" She laughed. "Alright then. _Obfendus!_ "

The white spell crackled when it hit Rhode's shield charm, the other girl hissing when some of the sparks hit her. Rhode frowned and threw a deep purple spell nonverbally, Ellen knocking it off to the side easily. Different colors flew between them as they tried desperately to hit one another. They were so immersed in their duel that they didn't even notice Harry walking up to them looking slightly irritated.

"Okay, stop!" Harry shouted. "Stop! STOP!"

A bright silver whistle flew to his hand and he blew it loudly, finally causing the girls to stop in their duel. He looked at them with a warning in his eyes before turing back to the others. "That wasn't bad," he said, "but there's definite room for improvement. Let's try again..."

Ellen shot off a hex at the girl with a grin, resuming their duel as if nothing had happened. Giggles sounded between the pair as they spun and dodged, their spells getting ever more dangerous with every passing moment. She was breathing hard but Ellen felt so alive. She had to duck under the bright green spell Rhode threw at her, sending a rude gesture to the girl.

"Rebecca!" She said exasperatedly. "Seriously?"

The tiny girl just laughed. "Don't be so boring, _Ellen_."

"Hey, Harry," Hermione called from the other end of the room, "have you checked the time?"

He blew his whistle; everybody stopped shouting, "Expelliarmus!" and the last couple of wands clattered to the floor. The girls lowered their wands, their cheeks flushed but grins across their faces.

"Well, that was pretty good," said Harry, "but we've overrun, we'd better leave it here. Same time, same place next week?"

"Sooner!" said Dean Thomas eagerly and many people nodded in agreement.

"Let's say next Wednesday night, then," said Harry, "and we can decide on additional meetings then...Come on, we'd better get going..." He let them all leave in threes and fours, frowning but not saying anything when the small Slytherin followed them out of the room.

"That was really, really good, Harry," said Hermione, when finally it was just the five of them.

"Yeah, it was!" said Ron enthusiastically. "Did you see me disarm Hermione, Harry?"

"Only once," said Hermione, stung. "I got you loads more than you got me —"

"I did not only get you once, I got you at least three times —"

"Well, if you're counting the one where you tripped over your own feet and knocked the wand out of my hand —"

"So," Harry interrupted loudly, "What were you two doing back there?"

He glared and Rhode and Ellen who just burst into giggles. "Oh, Potter," Rhode wiped a fake tear from her eye. "You really think we needed to work on Expelliarmus, of all things?"

"You could have hurt someone." He argued. "What if a spell had hit someone else?"

"They need to be more watchful of their surroundings then." Harry sputtered angrily, pulling another laugh from the girl. "I see why Allen likes you so much. You're so _fun_ to tease!"

"Okay, that's enough." Ellen finally said. "Go back to your dormitory, or —"

"Or what?" She pouted.

Ellen stared the other Noah down. "I'll tell Sheril that you want him to come visit during the next Hogsmeade weekend."

The tiny girl paled and gulped loudly. "I really should be going. Bye Allen~"

She skipped off, leaving them alone in the corridor. They walked all the way back to the common room in silence, bidding each other goodnight before slipping off to bed.

* * *

They spent the next two weeks in the same routine, notifying each other whenever anyone was free and slipping off in the night to go practice in the room. However it was becoming increasingly difficult to communicate without arousing some sort of suspicion. Hermione soon devised a very clever method of communicating the time and date of the next meeting to all the members in case they needed to change it at short notice. She gave each of the members of the D.A. a fake Galleon, quickly explaining the way that they worked.

The meetings came to a halt as the first Gryffindor game of the season began to approach, their practices increasing to every single night. Harry and Ron were both nervous wrecks that morning when they left for the Great Hall, leaving Ellen sitting the practically empty common room.

She looked around with a sigh and placed her things in her trunk upstairs before walking out of the portrait hole and towards Tyki's office. Ellen let herself in with a loud knock, giggling when Tyki poked his head out from behind the bookshelf. His wavy black hair was loose around his shoulders, still mussed from the sleep she obviously woke him from.

"Go back to bed, I'll be there in a bit." Ellen shooed him, closing the bookshelf entrance behind her. He walked sleepily back to his bedroom, the sound of snoring trickling out moments latter. She shook her head fondly and opened the entrance to his bathroom.

The professor's bathrooms were large with a deep stone tub built into the floor. A stained glass window depicting a centaur looked away from her as she filled the tub with hot water, pouring sweet smelling oils into it. With a quick Sticking Charm she had her hair gathered up in a bun, her wand stuck through it to keep it dry. Ellen quickly stripped and stepped into the bath, sighing gently at the soothing sensation.

The past few weeks had been so stressful with the secrecy and constant paranoia. It felt nice just to sit in the warm tub and allow her troubles to melt away from a short while. She could vaguely hear the sounds of the Quidditch game starting outside. It wasn't like she didn't want to support Harry, but Quidditch was something that reminded her so much of James that she couldn't bear to watch a second of it.

Quodpot was a better sport anyway.

She stayed in the tub for what much have been an hour before she finally rose, her fingers and toes pruny. A fluffy black robe seemed to materialize out of nowhere along with a set of towels. She went about drying herself off and wrapped herself in the surprisingly warm robe.

The door opened off to the side and Tyki stepped in; he was still in only his sleep pants, no shirt to be seen. With a smirk he walked up and wrapped his arms around from her from behind, pulling her against his chest. He hummed in contentment, pressing a soft kiss to her neck.

"You smell nice." He murmured, hugging her tighter.

Ellen giggled and turned around to kiss him firmly. "I'm going to have to bathe here from now on. It's so fancy."

"That's the only reason, is it?" His lips brushed against hers as he spoke.

"I mean, you're _alright_." Ellen teased, squeaking when he suddenly tossed her over his shoulder. She pounded on his shoulders with her small fists. "Let me down!"

He tossed her on the bed with a playful grin. "I'll show you alright."

Laughter bubbled out between kisses as he spent the rest of the morning proving to her that he was in fact, more than just alright.

The warm light of sunset trickled in through the window as they lay there wrapped around each other. Ellen had her head resting on top his chest, looking up at him. He brushed her hair out of her face; he examined a lock of hair intently, shaking his head. "I have to say, I still miss the white." His smile was soft still. "This doesn't look like my Allen."

She pressed her lips together grimly. "I know, but this is more useful right now. Let's make a promise right here, right now, that when all of this is over then we'll quit pretending to be something that we're not."

"You have a deal." Tyki pulled her closer and kissed her warmly. "As long as I have you, nothing else matters."

"Where do you want to go after all of this?" She asked.

Tyki sighed heavily. "Before I found you, I would have said I'd stay at Hogwarts. Now all I know is that I will go wherever you do."

"Hogwarts sounds nice." Ellen smiled at him. "We could get a cottage in Hogsmeade and you could Floo in for the school days."

"We could have a family." He said quietly, his hold tightening when she went stiff in his arms. "No one could ever replace our Nicholas, _amor_. It isn't like that. I love you, Allen. I want to have that life we always dreamed of."

She sniffled, tears prickling behind her eyes. "What if I can't have children anymore? We don't know what was in that thing Leverrier made me drink. What if it made me sterile?"

Her voice rose higher with every word, growing hysterical by the second. Tyki gripped her chin and forced him to look into his eyes. "Then we will find another way."

Ellen hugged him tightly until she quit shaking. It would be okay as long as she had him.

* * *

"Look, drop it, will you!" Harry burst out as Ellen walked up to them in the common room hours later. "It's bad enough without you blaming yourself for everything!"

Ron said nothing but sat gazing miserably at the damp hem of his robes. After a while he said in a dull voice, "This is the worst I've ever felt in my life."

"Join the club," said Harry bitterly.

"Well," said Hermione, her voice trembling slightly. "I can think of one thing that might cheer you both up."

"Oh yeah?" said Harry skeptically.

"Yeah," said Hermione, turning away from the pitch-black, snow flecked window, a broad smile spreading across her face. "Hagrid's back."

The boys took off sprinting up the stairs to their dormitory, Hermione going up to the girl's room accordlingly. Ellen raced behind her, confusion filling her mind. The other witch was throwing on her poorly knitted accessories on in a rush.

"Did I miss something?" Ellen asked, slipping on her own hat and coat.

"I'll catch you up later." Hermione promised, rushing out the room and back down the stairs where the boys were waiting.

They crept through the portrait hole and covered themselves hastily in the cloak — Ron had grown so much he now needed to crouch to prevent his feet showing — then, moving slowly and cautiously, they proceeded down the many staircases. They crept across the entrance hall and then out into the silent, snowy grounds. Ellen felt a grin spread across her face when she saw little golden squares of light ahead and smoke coiling up from Hagrid's chimney.

Harry set off at a quick march, the other three jostling and bumping along behind him, and they crunched excitedly through the thickening snow until at last they reached the wooden front door; when Harry raised his fist and knocked three times, a dog started barking frantically inside. "Hagrid, it's us!" Harry called through the keyhole.

"Shoulda known!" said a gruff voice.

They beamed at one another under the cloak; they could tell that Hagrid's voice was pleased. "Bin home three seconds...Out the way, Fang...Out the way, yeh dozy dog..."

The bolt was drawn back, the door creaked open, and Hagrid's head appeared in the gap. Hermione screamed.

"Merlin's beard, keep it down!" said Hagrid hastily, staring wildly over their heads. "Under that cloak, are yeh? Well, get in, get in!"

"I'm sorry!" Hermione gasped, as the four of them squeezed past Hagrid into the house and pulled the cloak off themselves so he could see them. "I just — oh, Hagrid !"

"It's nuthin', it's nuthin'!" said Hagrid hastily, shutting the door behind them and hurrying to close all the curtains, but Hermione continued to gaze up at him in horror.

Hagrid's hair was matted with congealed blood, and his left eye had been reduced to a puffy slit amid a mass of purple-and-black bruises. There were many cuts on his face and hands, some of them still bleeding, and he was moving gingerly, which made Harry suspect broken ribs. It was obvious that he had only just got home; a thick black traveling cloak lay over the back of a chair and a haversack large enough to carry several small children leaned against the wall inside the door. Hagrid himself, twice the size of a normal man and three times as broad, was now limping over to the fire and placing a copper kettle over it.

"What happened to you?" Harry demanded, while Fang danced around them all, trying to lick their faces.

"Told yeh, nuthin'," said Hagrid firmly. "Want a cuppa?"

"Come off it," said Ron, "you're in a right state!"

"I'm tellin' yeh, I'm fine," said Hagrid, straightening up and turning to beam at them all, but wincing. "Blimey, it's good ter see you three again — had good summers, did yeh?"

The large man finally focused on Ellen, his face morphing into one of surprise. "Ellen? What're yeh doin' here?"

"I owed Albus a favor." She frowned at him. "Rubeus, are you okay?"

"You ought to go and see Madam Pomfrey, Hagrid," said Hermione anxiously. "Some of those cuts look nasty."

"I'm dealin' with it, all righ'?" said Hagrid repressively.

He walked across to the enormous wooden table that stood in the middle of his cabin and twitched aside a tea towel that had been lying on it. Underneath was a raw, bloody, green-tinged steak slightly larger than the average car tire.

"You're not going to eat that, are you, Hagrid?" said Ron, leaning in for a closer look. "It looks poisonous."

"It's s'posed ter look like that, it's dragon meat," Hagrid said. "An' I didn' get it ter eat." He picked up the steak and slapped it over the left side of his face. Greenish blood trickled down into his beard as he gave a soft moan of satisfaction. "Tha's better. It helps with the stingin', yeh know."

"So are you going to tell us what's happened to you?" Harry asked.

"Can', Harry. Top secret. More'n me job's worth ter tell yeh that."

"Did the giants beat you up, Hagrid?" asked Hermione quietly. Hagrid's fingers slipped on the dragon steak, and it slid squelchily onto his chest.

"Giants?" said Hagrid, catching the steak before it reached his belt and slapping it back over his face. "Who said anythin' abou' giants? Who yeh bin talkin' to? Who's told yeh what I've — who's said I've bin — eh?"

"Tyki said you were with your family." Ellen explained calmly.

"It was kind of...obvious," said Ron. Harry nodded.

Hagrid glared at them, then snorted, threw the steak onto the table again and strode back to the kettle, which was now whistling. "Never known kids like you three fer knowin' more'n yeh oughta," he muttered, splashing boiling water into three of his bucket-shaped mugs. "An' I'm not complimentin' yeh, neither. Nosy, some'd call it. Interferin'."

But his beard twitched.

"So you have been to look for giants?" said Harry, grinning as he sat down at the table. Hagrid set tea in front of each of them, sat down, picked up his steak again, and slapped it back over his face.

"Yeah, all righ'," he grunted, "I have."

"And you found them?" said Hermione in a hushed voice.

"Well, they're not that difficult ter find, ter be honest," said Hagrid. "Pretty big, see."

"Where are they?" said Ron.

"Mountains," said Hagrid unhelpfully.

"So why don't Muggles — ?"

"They do," said Hagrid darkly. "O'ny their deaths are always put down ter mountaineerin' accidents, aren' they?" He adjusted the steak a little so that it covered the worst of the bruising.

"Come on, Hagrid, tell us what you've been up to!" said Ron. "Tell us about being attacked by the giants and Harry can tell you about being attacked by the dementors —"

Hagrid choked in his mug and dropped his steak at the same time; a large quantity of spit, tea, and dragon blood was sprayed over the table as Hagrid coughed and spluttered and the steak slid, with a soft splat, onto the floor.

"Whadda yeh mean, attacked by dementors?" growled Hagrid.

"Didn't you know?" Hermione asked him, wide-eyed.

"I don' know anything that's been happenin' since I left. I was on a secret mission, wasn' I, didn' wan' owls followin' me all over the place — ruddy dementors! Yeh're not serious?"

"Yeah, I am, they turned up in Little Whinging and attacked my cousin and me, and then the Ministry of Magic expelled me —"

"WHAT?"

"— and I had to go to a hearing and everything, but tell us about the giants first."

"You were expelled?"

"Tell us about your summer and I'll tell you about mine." Hagrid glared at Harry through his one open eye. Harry looked right back, an expression of innocent determination on his face.

"Oh, all righ'," Hagrid said in a resigned voice. He bent down and tugged the dragon steak out of Fang's mouth.

"Oh, Hagrid, don't, it's not hygien —" Hermione began, but Hagrid had already slapped the meat back over his swollen eye. He took another fortifying gulp of tea and started to speak.

He wove a tale of his summer with the giants. about the journey that it took to get there and how it was once he and a woman named Olympe had found them. It must have taken an hour for him to get the whole story out and he fell silent once it was.

"But you still haven't explained how you got in this state, Hagrid," Ron said, gesturing toward Hagrid's bloodstained face.

"Or why you're back so late," said Harry. "Sirius says Madame Maxime got back ages ago —"

"Who attacked you?" said Ron.

"I haven' bin attacked!" said Hagrid emphatically. "I —"

But the rest of his words were drowned in a sudden outbreak of rapping on the door. Hermione gasped; her mug slipped through her fingers and smashed on the floor; Fang yelped. All five of them stared at the window beside the doorway. The shadow of somebody small and squat rippled across the thin curtain.

"It's her!" Ron whispered.

"Get under here!" Harry said quickly; seizing the Invisibility Cloak he whirled it over himself and Hermione while Ron and Ellen tore around the table and dived beneath the cloak as well. Huddled together they backed away into a corner. Fang was barking madly at the door. Hagrid looked thoroughly confused.

"Hagrid, hide our mugs!"

Hagrid seized Harry's and Ron's mugs and shoved them under the cushion in Fang's basket. Fang was now leaping up at the door; Hagrid pushed him out of the way with his foot and pulled it open. Professor Umbridge was standing in the doorway wearing her green tweed cloak and a matching hat with earflaps. Lips pursed, she leaned back so as to see Hagrid's face; she barely reached his navel.

"So," she said slowly and loudly, as though speaking to somebody deaf. "You're Hagrid, are you?"

Without waiting for an answer she strolled into the room, her bulging eyes rolling in every direction. "Get away," she snapped, waving her handbag at Fang, who had bounded up to her and was attempting to lick her face.

"Er — I don' want ter be rude," said Hagrid, staring at her, "but who the ruddy hell are you?"

"My name is Dolores Umbridge." Her eyes were sweeping the cabin. Twice they stared directly into the corner where they all stood hidden under the cloak, squeezed together tightly.

"Dolores Umbridge?" Hagrid said, sounding thoroughly confused. "I thought you were one o' them Ministry — don' you work with Fudge?"

"I was Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, yes," said Umbridge, now pacing around the cabin, taking in every tiny detail within, from the haversack against the wall to the abandoned traveling cloak. "I am now the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher —"

"Tha's brave of yeh," said Hagrid, "there's not many'd take tha' job anymore —"

"— and Hogwarts High Inquisitor," said Umbridge, giving no sign that she had heard him.

"Wha's that?" said Hagrid, frowning.

"Precisely what I was going to ask," said Umbridge, pointing at the broken shards of china on the floor that had been Hermione's mug.

"Oh," said Hagrid, with a most unhelpful glance toward the corner where Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood hidden, "oh, tha' was...was Fang. He broke a mug. So I had ter use this one instead." Hagrid pointed to the mug from which he had been drinking, one hand still clamped over the dragon steak pressed to his eye. Umbridge stood facing him now, taking in every detail of his appearance instead of the cabin's.

"I heard voices," she said quietly.

"I was talkin' ter Fang," said Hagrid stoutly.

"And was he talking back to you?"

"Well...in a manner o' speakin'," said Hagrid, looking uncomfortable. "I sometimes say Fang's near enough human —"

"There are four sets of footprints in the snow leading from the castle doors to your cabin," said Umbridge sleekly.

Hermione gasped; Harry clapped a hand over her mouth. Luckily, Fang was sniffing loudly around the hem of Professor Umbridge's robes, and she did not appear to have heard.

"Well, I on'y jus' got back," said Hagrid, waving an enormous hand at the haversack. "Maybe someone came ter call earlier an' I missed em."

"There are no footsteps leading away from your cabin door."

"Well I...I don' know why that'd be..." said Hagrid, tugging nervously at his beard and again glancing toward the corner where the four stood, as though asking for help. "Erm..."

Umbridge wheeled around and strode the length of the cabin, looking around carefully. She bent and peered under the bed. She opened Hagrid's cupboards. She passed within two inches of where they were hiding. After looking carefully inside the enormous cauldron Hagrid used for cooking she wheeled around again and said, "What has happened to you? How did you sustain those injuries?"

Hagrid hastily removed the dragon steak from his face, the black-and-purple bruising all around his eye was now clearly visible, not to mention the large amount of fresh and congealed blood on his face. "Oh, I...had a bit of an accident," he said lamely.

"What sort of accident?"

"I-I tripped."

"You tripped," she repeated coolly.

"Yeah, tha's right. Over...over a friends broomstick. I don' fly, meself. Well, look at the size o' me, I don' reckon there's a broomstick that'd hold me. Friend o' mine breeds Abraxan horses, I dunno if you've ever seen 'em, big beasts, winged, yeh know, I've had a bit of a ride on one o' them an' it was —"

"Where have you been?" asked Umbridge, cutting coolly through Hagrid's babbling.

"Where've I...?"

"Been, yes," she said. "Term started more than two months ago. Another teacher has been hired to teach what was your class. None of your colleagues has been able to give me any information as to your whereabouts. You left no address. Where have you been?"

There was a pause in which Hagrid stared at her with his newly uncovered eye. "I — I've been away for me health," he said.

"For your health," said Umbridge. Her eyes traveled over Hagrid's discolored and swollen face; dragon blood dripped gently onto his waistcoat in the silence. "I see."

"Yeah," said Hagrid, "bit o' — o' fresh air, yeh know —"

"Yes, as gamekeeper fresh air must be so difficult to come by," said Umbridge sweetly. The small patch of Hagrid's face that was not black or purple flushed.

"Well — change o' scene, yeh know —"

"Mountain scenery?" said Umbridge swiftly.

"Mountains?" Hagrid repeated, clearly thinking fast. "Nope, South of France fer me. Bit o' sun an'...an' sea."

"Really?" said Umbridge. "You don't have much of a tan."

"Yeah...well...sensitive skin," said Hagrid, attempting an ingratiating smile. Umbridge looked at him coldly; his smile faltered. Then she hoisted her handbag a little higher into the crook of her arm and said, "I shall, of course, be informing the Minister of your late return."

"Righ'," said Hagrid, nodding.

"You ought to know too that as High Inquisitor it is my unfortunate but necessary duty to inspect all staff members. I do say we will meet again.." She turned sharply and marched back to the door.

"You're inspectin' us?" Hagrid echoed blankly, looking after her.

"Oh yes," said Umbridge softly, looking back at him with her hand on the door handle. "The Ministry is determined to weed out unsatisfactory individuals, Hagrid. Good night."

"She's goin' back ter the castle," Hagrid said in a low voice, slyly looking out the window. "Blimey...inspectin' people, is she?"

"Yeah," said Harry, pulling the cloak off. "Trelawney's on probation already..."

"How can she even inspect a groundskeeper!" said Ellen, scowling deeply.

"I suppose hiring Professor Mikk put a damper on her plans..." Hermione trailed off looking rather concerned.

"Lis'en, it's bin a long day an' it's late," he said, patting Hermione gently on the shoulder, so that her knees gave way and hit the floor with a thud. "Oh — sorry —" He pulled her back up by the neck of her robes. "Look, don' you go worryin' abou' me. Now you lot had better get back up to the castle, an' don' forget ter wipe yer footprints out behind yeh!"

"I think we got lucky that Tyki is here." Ellen said while they walked back up to the castle, snow swirling all around them. "She obviously has some vendetta against Rubeus, it's a good thing that he isn't a teacher right now."

The other three simply frowned in response. The rest of the walk was filled with heavy silence, each person obviously concerned for Hagrid's safety and wellbeing.

"I won't let her get rid of Hagrid." Harry said at last, his face stern in the light of the common room fire. They all nodded in agreement before heading up into their dormitories; a good night's sleep ought to make everything seem a little less scary.

* * *

It was with a certain amount of apprehension that Harry, Ron, Ellen, and Hermione headed down to the edge of the forest on Tuesday, heavily muffled against the cold. Something in their gut told them that there would be something happening, they just didn't know what.

Once they reached their destination it was very clear what they needed to be worried about. Hagrid was standing behind Tyki with an excited look on his face. The difference between the two men was jarring; Hagrid looked out of place next to Tyki's understated elegance, his worn clothes seeming threadbare next to the professor's finery.

"First off, I would like you all to welcome back _Senhor_ Hagrid. He has graciously agreed to assist me in the more advanced classes. I am sure you will show him the same respect you have shown me." Tyki said smoothly. "We will be working further into the forest today. Our specimen prefers a...darker environment, so to say."

"What prefers the dark?" They heard Malfoy say sharply to his cronies, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark — did you hear?"

"Ready?" said Hagrid happily, looking around at the class. "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year and Professor Mikk here thought it was a great idea. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em —"

"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" said Malfoy, the panic in his voice even more pronounced now. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"

The Slytherins murmured agreement and a few Gryffindors looked as though they thought Malfoy had a fair point too. Tyki simply smiled and motioned for the class to settle down. "I have examined the creatures myself and I must say, I have never met a herd so gentle." His voice was low and soothing, instantly calming the students. "If you will please follow _Senhor_ Hagrid.."

Hagrid turned and strode straight into the forest. Nobody seemed much disposed to follow until Tyki glanced at them sharply. They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight and there was no snow on the ground at all. Hagrid deposited half a cow with a grunt on the ground, stepped back, and turned to face the class again, most of whom were creeping toward him from tree to tree, peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon at any moment.

Tyki chuckled loudly at their reactions. "Come closer please. You cannot expect to learn if the tree is hiding your view, no?"

He turned and smoothed the few odd hairs back into his neat ponytail and with a smirk gave an odd, shrieking cry. It echoed through the trees loudly, causing a few students to jump. Tyki gave the call twice more before a smile came over his face. He walked over to a pair of yew trees, murmuring quietly as he grew closer.

Ellen gasped in surprise as he led a large thestral out from between the trees. Its white shining eyes stared out at the class while Tyki gently stroked down its skeletal body. It looked around few seconds, swishing its long black tail, then bowed its head and began to tear flesh from the dead cow next to Tyki with its pointed fangs.

"Why doesn't Professor Mikk call again?" She heard Ron whisper. Most of the rest of the class were wearing expressions as confused and nervously expectant as Ron's and were still gazing everywhere but at the horse standing feet from them. There were only two other people who seemed to be able to see them: a stringy Slytherin boy standing just behind Goyle was watching the horse eating with an expression of great distaste on his face, and Neville, whose eyes were following the swishing progress of the long black tail.

"Oh, an' here comes another one!" said Hagrid proudly, as a second black horse appeared out of the dark trees, folded its leathery wings closer to its body, and dipped its head to gorge on the meat. "Now... put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"

"Ahem," Tyki cleared his throat politely. "You do not have to do so if you don't feel comfortable. Now, please turn to page 562 of your book."

The sound of people ruffling through their bags filled the air until they all landed on the page as instructed. "Thestrals," Tyki began, "are classified as XXXX-Class Creatures. Can anyone tell me why that is?"

Hermione's hand shot in the air immediately. "Because they can only be handled by a trained wizard."

"Correct." He looked pleased. "Does anyone know why most of you cannot see the creature?"

"A thestral can only be seen by someone who has witnessed death." Ellen said softly, staring at the grotesque horse. "They're regarded as bad omens by many wizards."

"Ten points to Gryffindor, both of you. I see my class has been doing their reading." Tyki teased. "It is my belief that a thestral is a rather misunderstood creature. They —"

"Hem, hem."

Professor Umbridge had arrived. She was standing a few feet away from Harry, wearing her green hat and cloak again, her clipboard at the ready. Hagrid, who had never heard Umbridge's fake cough before, was gazing in some concern at the closest thestral, evidently under the impression that it had made the sound.

"Professor Umbridge." Tyki's smile was stiff. "What a lovely surprise! Class, please welcome Professor Umbridge."

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge." They chanted dully.

"Hem, hem." Umbridge coughed again. "I was informed about your new _helper_ and I thought I would come see it for myself."

Ellen watched Tyki clench his fists for a second before the plastic smile was back in place. He walked over to the short woman and gripped her hand, brushing his lips across her bulging knuckles in a greeting. "It would be my pleasure to have you observe my class again. Magizoology is such a beautiful thing, is it not?"

The toad giggled girlishly and looked at him with what she must have thought were enticing eyes. "Oh, yes, it truly is."

"Wonderful." He turned back to the class. "As I was saying, the thestral is a rather misunderstood creature. In recent studies we have found that there has never been an unprovoked thestral attack on a witch or wizard. What was once thought to be aggression has been observed to be more of a protective instinct against anyone who finds themselves too close to the thestral's herd. _Senhor_ Hagrid is most familiar with this herd, however."

"Oh yeah," said Hagrid, throwing an uneasy glance at Umbridge's clipboard, but plowing on valiantly. "Yeah, I was gonna tell yeh how come we got a herd. Yeah, so, we started off with a male an' five females. This one," he patted the first horse to have appeared, "name o' Tenebrus, he's my special favorite, firs' one born here in the forest —"

"Are you aware," Umbridge said loudly, interrupting Hagrid, "that the Ministry of Magic has classified thestrals as 'dangerous'?"

"That is why we have taken special precautions." Tyki moved in front of the groundskeeper. "The Headmaster received permission for us to show the class on the grounds that the thestrals have food present and that the students maintain a healthy distance. I believe you will find that these requirements have been met."

"Please continue teaching as usual. I am going to walk" — she mimed walking at Hagrid— Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were having silent fits of laughter — "among the students" — she pointed around at individual members of the class — "and ask them questions." She pointed at her mouth to indicate talking.

Ellen could clearly see the disgust written across Tyki's face as he watched the woman disrespect Hagrid so blatantly. Hermione had tears of fury in her eyes now.

"You hag, you evil hag!" she whispered, as Umbridge walked toward Pansy Parkinson. "I know what you're doing, you awful, twisted, vicious —"

"If you will look in your book, you will find a sketch of the thestral." Tyki continued on as if Umbridge was not even there. "It is because of their skeletal appearance and the circumstances of how they can be seen that have led wizards and witches to view them as bad luck for many centuries."

"Do you find," said Professor Umbridge in a ringing voice to Pansy Parkinson, "that you are able to understand Mr. Hagrid when he talks?"

Just like Hermione, Pansy had tears in her eyes, but these were tears of laughter; indeed, her answer was almost incoherent because she was trying to suppress her giggles. "No...because...well...it sounds...like grunting a lot of the time..."

Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard. Tyki resisted the urge to frown and kept speaking. "The thestral is a rather remarkable creature. Once they have been tamed, it is unlikely that they will ever stray. They also have an incredible sense of direction. It can almost be compared to that of a messenger owl. All one must do is —"

"You can see the thestrals, Longbottom, can you?" Umbridge said as she approached the boy. Neville nodded.

"Whom did you see die?" she asked, her tone indifferent.

"I fail to see how this pertains to my lesson." Tyki interrupted cooly, placing his hand on Neville's shoulder. He nudged the boy over to Ellen and stood fully in front of Umbridge. "You are always welcome in my class, but if you insist on asking my students personal, private questions then I must ask you to leave _Senhorita_ Umbridge."

"I think I've seen all that I need to," Her lip curled slightly in anger. "You will receive your updated results in ten days, Professor Mikk."

She marched her way out of the forest and they watched her go up to the castle until she could not be seen anymore. Tyki shook his head in exasperation and turned back to his class. "Now that that is over, where was I? Oh yes, the only thing..."

"That foul, lying, twisting old gargoyle!" stormed Hermione half an hour later, as they made their way back up to the castle through the channels they had made earlier in the snow. "You see what she's up to? It's her thing about half-breeds all over again — she's trying to make out Hagrid's some kind of dim-witted troll, just because he had a giantess for a mother!"

"Umbridge said they're dangerous," said Ron.

"And Tyki said that they aren't." Ellen said impatiently.

"I'd guessed a teacher like Mikk wouldn't usually show them to us before N.E.W.T. level, but, well, they are very interesting, aren't they? The way some people can see them and some can't! I wish I could." Hermione prattled on.

"Do you?" Harry asked her quietly.

She looked horrorstruck. "Oh Harry — I'm sorry — no, of course I don't — that was a really stupid thing to say —"

"It's okay," he said quickly, "don't worry..."

"I'm surprised we had people that could see them," said Ron.

"Yeah, Weasley, we were just wondering," said a malicious voice nearby. Unheard by any of them in the muffling snow, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were walking along right behind them. "D'you reckon if you saw someone snuff it you'd be able to see the Quaffle better?"

He, Crabbe, and Goyle roared with laughter as they pushed past on their way to the castle and then broke into a chorus of "Weasley Is Our King." Ron's ears turned scarlet.

"Ignore them, just ignore them," intoned Hermione.

* * *

It was hours later in the common room when Ellen finally vanished claiming that she needed to go talk to Dumbledore. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were gathered in front of the fire working on homework, nothing but the sound of scratching quills and the crackling of the fire sounding in their ears. Hermione finally set down her quill with a sigh, catching the boy's attention.

"Everything alright?" Harry asked, his brow furrowed.

She shook her head slightly. "Ellen is keeping secrets from us, Harry. Are you sure that we can trust her?"

"She's my godmother," He argued. "She was friends with my parents."

"I know," Hermione said soothingly, "I'm just worried that she has other motives for being here. She says she's been hiding from the other Noah for a long time, but now she's surrounded herself with them. What if she decided she's more loyal to them than she is to the Order?"

Ron grunted, poking at his essay with his quill. "She's got a point, mate. Ellen's nice, but we don't know her that well."

Harry said nothing in reply, his mind racing. The Noah had shown up out of nowhere this past summer claiming all these wonderful things that he wished that he could believe. Sirius obviously cared a lot about her if their interactions were to say anything, but Lupin had made a point to avoid her every time he came around to Grimmauld Place. But Ellen had said that she cared about him. She had given him a key to her Ark, something that she kept hidden from everyone else. She had wanted to raise him, how could she be anything but good?

"She's not that kind of person," Harry finally said, staring defiantly at the other two. "I don't know what it is about her, but I just know that she's here for us."

"Harry..." Hermione trailed off. "Are you sure it isn't just because she knew your parents?"

"So what if is is?" He snapped at her.

"Calm down," Ron held up his hands in a calming motion. "We're just worried for you."

"I thought you two liked her, what happened there?"

Hermione sighed again, looking at Harry. "We've been watching her during the DA meetings. Her and that Rhode girl, they throw a lot of really dark spells around for no reason."

He couldn't argue with that. Over the past couple of meetings he had been forced to say something to the Noah when he realized what they were using. More than once he'd caught the small Noah, Rhode, throwing the Killing Curse around like it was nothing. Even though he knew that they did not need to practice the spells that he was teaching, it was dangerous for them to be exposing others to those kind of spells. "I've told them to stop that."

"I just want you to be careful, Harry." Hermione said quietly. "As nice as she can be, she's a dark creature and she's dangerous. She's shown that she doesn't mind hiding things from us and lying, we just need to keep an eye on her."

"Fine.." Harry finally agreed.

Throughout their whole conversation they never noticed the small body hovering on an umbrella outside of the window. Bright yellow eyes glared into the common room, then they were gone as if no one had ever been there.

* * *

 **Ofendus = spark**

 **I can make a list of spells on my profile if anyone is interested. Just let me know!**

 **Rhode absolutely tried to hit Ellen with _Avada Kedavra_. Just because she's technically a 'good guy' doesn't make her any less of a Noah. She obviously knew that Ellen would dodge. **


	12. Chapter 12

December rolled through in a flurry of snow and homework. Every fifth year was positively drowning in the stuff and Ron and Hermione were suffering even more so as their prefect duties had increased with the holidays approaching. Ellen had spent all of her time juggling keeping an eye on Harry, spending time with Rhode and Tyki, keeping in contact with the Clan, and regular meetings with Albus all while juggling the tasks of a normal student.

The D.A. meetings were just the cherry on top of the stress sundae she was having. With the holidays coming close they wouldn't have the chance to really meet, with everyone going their separate ways. Hermione was going skiing with her parents while Harry and Ron were spending the break at the Burrow. Ellen, Rhode, Tyki, and the rest of the Clan were all to go to Grimmauld Place for hols so that they could truly start being a part of the Order.

Ellen and Rhode arrived somewhat early in the Room of Requirement for the last D.A. meeting before the holidays. Harry and the others were crowded around each other discussing something glumly. The arrival of Ron, Hermione, and Neville brought the seemingly depressing discussion to an end and within five minutes, the room was full.

"Okay," Harry said, calling them all to order. "I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point starting anything new right before a three-week break —"

"We're not doing anything new?" said Zacharias Smith, in a disgruntled whisper loud enough to carry through the room. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come..."

"We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you, then," said Fred loudly. Several people sniggered.

"We can practice in pairs," said Harry. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, just for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."

They all divided up obediently; Rhode and Ellen partnered together as usual, wide grins on their faces. The room was soon full of intermittent cries of " _Impedimenta_!" People froze for a minute or so, during which their partners would stare aimlessly around the room watching other pairs at work, then would unfreeze and take their turn at the jinx.

The Noahs spent the entire time dueling, as they had in almost every D.A. meeting to date. After so many years of life, they had practically mastered basic defense spells and spent their time throwing increasingly obscure curses at each other instead.

At the end of an hour, Harry called a halt.

"You're getting really good," he said, beaming around at them. "When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff — maybe even Patronuses."

There was a murmur of excitement. The room began to clear in the usual twos and threes; most people wished Harry a Happy Christmas as they went. Rhode and Ellen helped the trio pick up the cushions as usual, leaving Harry alone in the room when they saw Cho lingering.

As usual, Rhode tagged along with them up until they reached the portrait before skipping off like she had all the time in the world to get back to the dungeons. They climbed in the portrait hole together, Ron shaking his head as they took a seat by the fire.

"I don't know what it is," He grinned. "But I like that midget."

Ellen cackled loudly and launched into a tale about one of the funnier times she and Rhode had gone through together. It had involved a top hat, a screeching umbrella gollum, and four stolen goats. Hermione shook her head good-naturedly and retrieved a roll of parchment, starting on a letter that looked like it was going to be very long.

It was half an hour later when Harry finally returned to the common room. She broke from her story to stare up at him, resisting the urge to smirk knowingly.

"What kept you?" Ron asked, as Harry sank into the armchair next to Hermione's.

Harry did not answer.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione asked, peering at him over the tip of her quill. Harry gave a halfhearted shrug.

"What's up?" said Ron, hoisting himself up on his elbow to get a clearer view of Harry. "What's happened?"

"Is it Cho?" Hermione asked in a businesslike way. "Did she corner you after the meeting?"

Numbly surprised, Harry nodded. Ron sniggered, breaking off when Hermione caught his eye. "So — er — what did she want?" he asked in a mock casual voice.

"She —" Harry began. "She — er —"

"Did you kiss?" asked Hermione briskly.

Ron jerked up so fast that he almost knocked his elbow into Ellen's face. Disregarding this completely he stared avidly at Harry. "Well?" he demanded.

Harry looked from Ron's expression of mingled curiosity and hilarity, to Ellen's sly grin, then to Hermione's slight frown, and nodded.

"HA!" Ron made a triumphant gesture with his fist and went into a raucous peal of laughter that made several timid-looking second years over beside the window jump. A reluctant grin spread over Harry's face as he watched Ron rolling around on the hearthrug, Ellen moving out of his deadly elbows once again. Hermione gave Ron a look of deep disgust and returned to her letter.

"Well?" Ron said finally, looking up at Harry. "How was it?"

"Wet," Harry said truthfully.

Ellen squeaked, holding back her snickers. She bumped against Ron when he made some odd noise, staring at Harry waiting for him to continue.

"Because she was crying," Harry continued heavily.

"Oh," said Ron, his smile fading slightly. "Are you that bad at kissing?"

"Dunno," said Harry, "Maybe I am."

"Of course you're not," said Hermione absently, still scribbling away at her letter.

"How do you know?" said Ron in a sharp voice.

"I've never known a man to make a girl _cry_ with his lack of skills." Ellen piped up, earning a sharp glare from Hermione.

"Because Cho spends half her time crying these days," said Hermione vaguely. "She does it at mealtimes, in the loos, all over the place."

"You'd think a bit of kissing would cheer her up," said Ron, grinning.

"Ron," said Hermione in a dignified voice, dipping the point of her quill into her ink pot, "you are the most insensitive wart I have ever had the misfortune to meet."

Ellen didn't hold back her laughter this time, leaning against the sofa clutching her sides. Hermione looked at her again, but nothing she did could stop the stream of giggles erupting from the Noah.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Ron indignantly. "What sort of person cries while someone's kissing them?"

"Yeah," said Harry, slightly desperately, "who does?"

"Don't you understand how Cho's feeling at the moment?" she asked.

"No," said Harry and Ron together.

Hermione sighed and laid down her quill. "Well, obviously, she's feeling very sad, because of Cedric dying. Then I expect she's feeling confused because she liked Cedric and now she likes Harry, and she can't work out who she likes best. Then she'll be feeling guilty, thinking it's an insult to Cedric's memory to be kissing Harry at all, and she'll be worrying about what everyone else might say about her if she starts going out with Harry. And she probably can't work out what her feelings toward Harry are anyway, because he was the one who was with Cedric when Cedric died, so that's all very mixed up and painful. Oh, and she's afraid she's going to be thrown off the Ravenclaw Quidditch team because she's been flying so badly."

A slightly stunned silence greeted the end of this speech, then Ron said, "One person can't feel all that at once, they'd explode."

"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have," said Hermione nastily, picking up her quill again.

"She was the one who started it," said Harry. "I wouldn't've — she just sort of came at me — and next thing she's crying all over me — I didn't know what to do —"

"Don't blame you, mate," said Ron, looking alarmed at the very thought.

"You just had to be nice to her," said Hermione, looking up anxiously. "You were, weren't you?"

"Well," said Harry, an unpleasant heat creeping up his face, "I sort of — patted her on the back a bit."

Hermione looked as though she was restraining herself from rolling her eyes with extreme difficulty while Ellen laughed even harder.

"Well, I suppose it could have been worse," she said. "Are you going to see her again?"

"I'll have to, won't I?" said Harry. "We've got D.A. meetings, haven't we?"

"You know what I mean," said Hermione impatiently.

Harry said nothing.

"Oh well," said Hermione distantly, buried in her letter once more, "you'll have plenty of opportunities to ask her..."

"What if he doesn't want to ask her?" said Ron, who had been watching Harry with an unusually shrewd expression on his face.

"Then he shouldn't have gone and planted one on her like that!" Ellen snickered. "I'm sorry for laughing, I really am. I just forget how _teenage_ you lot are."

They sat in silence for another twenty minutes, Ellen threw herself back into her story keeping Ron's attention for the whole time, Hermione writing steadily to the very end of the parchment, rolling it up carefully and sealing it, and Harry staring into the fire.

"Well, 'night," said Hermione, yawning widely, and she set off up the girls' staircase.

"Night boys." Ellen nodded at them, following the other girl up the stairs. She changed quickly and settled into bed, smiling when her doxy crawled out of it's warm nest to lay in the crook of her neck. Ellen took a deep breath and let sleep claim her at long last.

* * *

"Harry! Harry!"

Ellen shot out of bed with a gasp when her ears picked up the sound of someone shouting. She all but leapt out of bed, throwing on her slippers and dressing gown. Another shout sounded from the boy's dormitory when she took off in a sprint down the stairs and up into the boy's dormitory.

Ron was standing over Harry looking extremely frightened, the other boys gathered around him. Ellen rushed over just as Harry rolled right over and vomited over the edge of the mattress.

"He's really ill," Neville said, fear clear in his voice. "Should we call someone?"

"Harry! Harry!" Ron called again, anything to get his friend to move. Harry pushed himself up in bed, his face pale and sweaty.

"Your dad," he panted, his chest heaving. "Your dad's...been attacked..."

"What?" said Ron uncomprehendingly.

"Your dad! He's been bitten, it's serious, there was blood everywhere..."

"Go get McGonagall, now!" Ellen hissed at Neville, the boy running out quickly.

"Harry, mate," said Ron uncertainly, "you...you were just dreaming..."

"No!" said Harry furiously; it was crucial that Ron understand. "It wasn't a dream...not an ordinary dream...I was there, I saw it...I did it..."

"Harry, you're not well," She heard Ron say shakily. "Neville's gone for help..."

"I'm fine!" Harry choked, wiping his mouth on his pajamas and shaking uncontrollably. "There's nothing wrong with me, it's your dad you've got to worry about — we need to find out where he is — he's bleeding like mad — I was — it was a huge snake..."

Harry went to move out of bed but Ellen rushed over past the other boys to help Ron push him back into the bed. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, feeling him shaking in her embrace. She tried to whisper soft words; promises that Harry was going to be alright, help was coming.

"Over here, Professor..."

Professor McGonagall came hurrying into the dormitory in her tartan dressing gown, her glasses perched lopsidedly on the bridge of her bony nose. Ellen pulled away slightly, allowing the two to make eye contact.

"What is it, Potter? Where does it hurt?"

"It's Ron's dad," he said, pulling away from her. "He's been attacked by a snake and it's serious, I saw it happen."

"What do you mean, you saw it happen?" said Professor McGonagall, her dark eyebrows contracting.

"I don't know...I was asleep and then I was there..."

"You mean you dreamed this?"

"No!" said Harry angrily. "I was having a dream at first about something completely different, something stupid...and then this interrupted it. It was real, I didn't imagine it, Mr. Weasley was asleep on the floor and he was attacked by a gigantic snake, there was a load of blood, he collapsed, someone's got to find out where he is..."

Professor McGonagall was gazing at him through her lopsided spectacles as though horrified at what she was seeing. Ellen gave the woman a pointed look, rubbing her hand down Harry's back soothingly.

"I'm not lying, and I'm not mad!" Harry told her, his voice rising to a shout. "I tell you, I saw it happen!"

"I believe you, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly. "Put on your dressing-gown — we're going to see the headmaster."

"Weasley and Walker, you ought to come too," said Professor McGonagall. They followed Professor McGonagall past the silent figures of Neville, Dean, and Seamus, out of the dormitory, down the spiral stairs into the common room, through the portrait hole, and off along the Fat Lady's moonlit corridor. Ellen kept a firm grip around Harry the entire time, scared that if she let up for even a moment then the boy would collapse.

"Fizzing Whizbee," said Professor McGonagall, leading them up the stairs that had been revealed. Though it was now well past midnight, there were voices coming from inside the room, a positive babble of them. It sounded as though Dumbledore was entertaining at least a dozen people. Professor McGonagall rapped three times with the griffin knocker, and the voices ceased abruptly as though someone had switched them all off. The door opened of its own accord and Professor McGonagall led Harry, Ellen, and Ron inside.

"Oh, it's you, Professor McGonagall and ah." Dumbledore was sitting in a high-backed chair behind his desk; he leaned forward into the pool of candlelight illuminating the papers laid out before him. His penetrating light-blue eyes fixed intently upon Professor McGonagall.

"Professor Dumbledore, Potter has had a well, a nightmare," said Professor McGonagall. "He says"

"It wasn't a nightmare," said Harry quickly.

Professor McGonagall looked around at Harry, frowning slightly. "Very well, then, Potter, you tell the headmaster about it."

"I well, I was asleep." said Harry, shaking under Ellen's grip. "But it wasn't an ordinary dream it was real. I saw it happen." He took a deep breath, "Ron's dad — Mr. Weasley — has been attacked by a giant snake."

There was a pause in which Dumbledore leaned back and stared meditatively at the ceiling. Ron looked from Harry to Dumbledore, white-faced and shocked. "How did you see this?" Dumbledore asked quietly, still not looking at Harry.

"Well I don't know," said Harry, rather angrily — what did it matter? "Inside my head, I suppose —"

"You misunderstand me," said Dumbledore. "I mean can you remember where you were positioned as you watched this attack happen? Were you perhaps standing beside the victim, or else looking down on the scene from above?"

"I was the snake," he said. "I saw it all from the snake's point of view."

Nobody else spoke for a moment, then Dumbledore, now looking at Ron, who was still whey-faced, said in a new and sharper voice, "Is Arthur seriously injured?"

"Yes," said Harry emphatically. But Dumbledore stood up so quickly that Harry jumped, and addressed one of the old portraits hanging very near the ceiling.

"Everard?" he said sharply. "And you too, Dilys!"

"You were listening?" said Dumbledore. The wizard in the portrait nodded, the witch in the other one said, "Naturally."

"The man has red hair and glasses," said Dumbledore. "Everard, you will need to raise the alarm, make sure he is found by the right people —"

"Please sit down, all four of you," said Dumbledore, his voice deceptively calm. "Everard and Dilys may not be back for several minutes. Professor McGonagall, if you could draw up extra chairs"

Ellen whipped out her wand before the professor had the chance and conjured several soft armchairs. She had been on the receiving end of what McGonagall called furniture and it was not something that the boys should have to deal with at a time like this.

They all sat down, watching Dumbledore over his shoulder. Dumbledore was now stroking Fawkes's plumed golden head with one finger. The phoenix awoke immediately. He stretched his beautiful head high and observed Dumbledore through bright, dark eyes.

"We will need," said Dumbledore very quietly to the bird, "a warning."

There was a flash of fire and the phoenix had gone. Harry looked as if he wanted to ask what was happening, but before he could do so, there was a shout from the top of the wall to their right; the wizard called Everard had reappeared in his portrait, panting slightly.

"Dumbledore!"

"What news?" said Dumbledore at once.

"I yelled until someone came running," said the wizard, who was mopping his brow on the curtain behind him, "said I'd heard something moving downstairs — they weren't sure whether to believe me but went down to check — you know there are no portraits down there to watch from. Anyway, they carried him up a few minutes later. He doesn't look good, he's covered in blood, I ran along to Elfrida Cragg's portrait to get a good view as they left —"

"Good," said Dumbledore as Ron made a convulsive movement, "I take it Dilys will have seen him arrive, then —"

And moments later, the silver-ringletted witch had reappeared in her picture too; she sank, coughing, into her armchair and said, "Yes, they've taken him to St. Mungo's, Dumbledore. They carried him past under my portrait. He looks bad."

"Thank you," said Dumbledore. He looked around at Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva, I need you to go and wake the other Weasley children."

"Of course."

Professor McGonagall got up and moved swiftly to the door; Ellen looked over at the two boys who looked terrified at the whole situation.

"And Dumbledore — what about Molly?" said Professor McGonagall, pausing at the door.

"That will be a job for Fawkes when he has finished keeping a lookout for anybody approaching," said Dumbledore. "But she may already know that excellent clock of hers"

Dumbledore was now rummaging in a cupboard behind them. He emerged from it carrying a blackened old kettle, which he placed carefully upon his desk. He raised his wand and murmured " _Portus_ "; for a moment the kettle trembled, glowing with an odd blue light, then it quivered to a rest, as solidly black as ever.

Dumbledore marched over to another portrait, this time of a clever-looking wizard with a pointed beard, who had been painted wearing the Slytherin colors of green and silver and was apparently sleeping so deeply that he could not hear Dumbledore's voice when he attempted to rouse him.

"Phineas. Phineas."

And now the subjects of the portraits lining the room were no longer pretending to be asleep; they were shifting around in their frames, the better to watch what was happening. When the clever looking wizard continued to feign sleep, some of them shouted his name too.

"Phineas! Phineas! PHINEAS!"

He could not pretend any longer; he gave a theatrical jerk and opened his eyes wide. "Did someone call?"

"I need you to visit your other portrait again, Phineas," said Dumbledore.

"I've got another message."

"Visit my other portrait?" said Phineas in a reedy voice, giving a long, fake yawn. "Oh no, Dumbledore, I am too tired tonight."

"Shame on you, Phineas!" Called out several of the portraits.

"Shall I persuade him, Dumbledore?" called a gimlet-eyed witch, raising an unusually thick wand that looked not unlike a birch rod.

"Oh, very well," said the wizard called Phineas, eyeing this wand slightly apprehensively, "though he may well have destroyed my picture by now, he's done most of the family —"

"Sirius knows not to destroy your portrait," said Dumbledore. "You are to give him the message that Arthur Weasley has been gravely injured and that his wife, children, Harry Potter, and the entire Clan will be arriving at his house shortly. Do you understand?"

"Arthur Weasley, injured, wife and children, Harry Potter, and Clan coming to stay," recited Phineas in a bored voice. "Yes, yes very well."

He sloped away into the frame of the portrait and disappeared from view at the very moment that the study door opened again. Fred, George, and Ginny were ushered inside by Professor McGonagall, all three of them looking disheveled and shocked, still in their night things.

"Harry — what's going on?" asked Ginny, who looked frightened. "Professor McGonagall says you saw Dad hurt —"

"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix," said Dumbledore before Harry could speak. "He has been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius's house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than the Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

"How're we going?" asked Fred, looking shaken. "Floo powder?"

"No," said Dumbledore, "Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the Network is being watched. You will be taking a Portkey." He indicated the old kettle lying innocently on his desk. "We are just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back. I wish to be sure that the coast is clear before sending you —"

There was a flash of flame in the very middle of the office, leaving behind a single golden feather that floated gently to the floor.

"It is Fawkes's warning," said Dumbledore, catching the feather as it fell. "She must know you're out of your beds. Minerva, go and head her off — tell her any story —"

Professor McGonagall was gone in a swish of tartan. "He says he'll be delighted," said a bored voice behind Dumbledore; the wizard called Phineas had reappeared in front of his Slytherin banner. "My great-great-grandson has always had odd taste in houseguests."

"Come here, then," Dumbledore said to Harry and the Weasleys.

"And quickly, before anyone else joins us"

Harry and the others gathered around Dumbledore's desk.

"You have all used a Portkey before?" asked Dumbledore, and they nodded, each reaching out to touch some part of the blackened kettle. "Good. On the count of three then one two"

The children all disappeared with the cauldron, leaving Ellen and Dumbledore alone in his office. They stared at each other for a moment, silence hanging heavily between them. "Gather the Clan," Albus told her quickly. "I know you can track Harry, open a Gate near him and bring the others with you. Now, before she arrives."

Ellen nodded firmly and ripped a gate open, slamming it shut behind her. She opened the doors into Rhode's dormitory and snatched the girl away from the window she was sitting by. The gate slammed firmly behind them, leaving the pair alone in the Ark.

She gripped Rhode's hands tight in her own, staring into the other girl's eyes. "I grant you a Key to the Box." Ellen said quickly, dark matter crackling between them.

Rhode's eyes widened in shock as she felt her mind connect with the Ark for the first time in over two hundred years. Ellen pressed her finger against the girl's lips, shushing her. "Rhode, I need you to get Sheril and Jasdevit. Now. Bring them here."

The other Noah opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it seeing Ellen's face. Rhode opened a gate quickly and hopped out of it, leaving Ellen in the Ark. Ellen quickly opened a gate into Tyki's bedroom and stepped out. She shook him roughly to wake him.

"Tyki, get up!" She hissed when he grumbled at her. "It's the Order."

He shot up out of bed immediately, staring at her. "Get dressed you idiot!" Ellen fussed at him.

Tyki threw on his clothes at a record speed before following his wife back through the gate. When they stepped back into the Ark the moment Rhode opened a gate, Sheril and the twins following her with wide eyes. For the first time since the Holy War, the entire living Clan was in one place. Ellen felt her eyes prickled and pulled them all into a giant hug.

"Oh, how I have missed you." She murmured. "But now is not the time for reunions. A member of the Order has been attacked. Albus wants us for protection."

They all nodded in agreement, looking uncharacteristically serious. She watched the twins shift into their Grey form effortlessly to match the rest of the Noah in meeting. Ellen took a deep breath and focused the ring Harry was wearing. If she could open a gate to a person instead of a location, it might work. Her eyes snapped open. "He's at Grimmauld Place."

A shining white gate opened with a wave of her hand, her Noah singing in joy at being so near to the others. She shook herself roughly and pushed the gate open, leading them into a sitting room. Sirius, Harry, and the Weasley children were all gathered around holding Butterbeers.

The rest of the Noah filed out after her, earning odd looks from those present. Sirius stood slowly and was nearly thrown back down by the force of Ellen's hug. "Oh Paddy, I'm so sorry." She whispered so that the children could not hear.

She heard the sound of Rhode clearing her throat and pulled away from her friend to look at the others. "Alright then." She said plainly. "Everyone, here are the surviving members Clan of Noah. Everyone, this is Sirius and the children. They've had a rough night so I need you to be kind."

Conversation flowed awkwardly around the room as people got around t individually introducing themselves, along with the shock of the remaining Weasleys finding out that their teacher was a Noah. Sirius pulled Ellen to the back of the room, his voice pitched low.

"Which one is _him_?" She could hear the protectiveness in his voice.

Ellen pointed over to where Tyki was calmly chatting with Sheril. "The younger one. His name is Tyki."

Sirius's brow rose. "The one that Dumbledore hired?" She nodded. "Wow. I can't say this is how I pictured him."

"How did you picture him exactly?" Ellen questioned, her tone forcefully light.

"Oh, I don't know." Sirius said flippantly. "Lot more warts, maybe a lazy eye or two..."

She smacked him on the arm hard, jumping when a burst of fire in midair illuminated the dirty plates in front of them, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud onto the table, accompanied by a single golden phoenix tail feather.

"Fawkes!" said Sirius at once, snatching up the parchment. "That's not Dumbledore's writing — it must be a message from your mother — here —"

He thrust the letter into George's hand, who ripped it open and read aloud, "Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St. Mungo's now. Stay where you are. Send Sheril to meet me there. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."

George looked around the table. "Still alive" he said slowly. "But that makes it sound..."

He did not need to finish the sentence. Ellen looked over at Rhode who simply nodded and opened up one of her checkered doors, she and Sheril quietly heading to St. Mungo's.

The girl returned moments later, but the night was far from over. They all sat around the table in silence, huddled into separate groups. No one dared go to sleep, they only watched the candle burning lower and lower. Ellen could hear Jasdevit conversing quietly in the half language that they had always managed to understand. No one made an attempt to speak to any of the Weasleys, leaving them be in their grief as the hours passed by.

And then, at ten past five in the morning by Ron's watch, the kitchen door swung open and Molly entered the kitchen followed by a silent Sheril. She was extremely pale, but when they all turned to look at her, Fred, Ron, and Harry half-rising from their chairs, she gave a wan smile.

"He's going to be all right," she said, her voice weak with tiredness. "He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now, he's going to take the morning off work."

Fred fell back into his chair with his hands over his face. George and Ginny got up, walked swiftly over to their mother, and hugged her. Ron gave a very shaky laugh and downed the rest of his butterbeer in one.

"Breakfast!" said Sirius loudly and joyfully, jumping to his feet. "Where's that accursed house-elf? Kreacher! KREACHER!"

But Kreacher did not answer the summons.

"Oh, forget it, then," muttered Sirius, counting the people in front of him. "So it's breakfast for — let's see — thirteen bacon and eggs, I think, and some tea, and toast —"

The Clan busied themselves with helping Sirius, none of them quite sure what to do in the situation. Ellen kept an eye on Harry, smiling when she saw Molly pull him into a hug.

"I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for you, Harry," she said in a muffled voice. "They might not have found Arthur for hours, and then it would have been too late, but thanks to you he's alive and Dumbledore's been able to think up a good cover story for Arthur being where he was, you've no idea what trouble he would have been in otherwise, look at poor Sturgis."

She soon released Harry to turn to Sirius and thank him for looking after her children through the night. Sirius said that he was very pleased to have been able to help, and hoped they would all stay with him as long as Arthur was in hospital.

"Oh, Sirius, I'm so grateful. They think he'll be there a little while and it would be wonderful to be nearer Of course, that might mean we're here for Christmas."

"The more the merrier!" said Sirius with such obvious sincerity that Molly beamed at him, threw on an apron, and began to help with breakfast.

"Sirius," Harry muttered. "Can I have a quick word? Er — now?"

The two walked into the dark pantry, leaving Ellen and the Clan hovering near Molly. The continued on preparing bits of breakfast, none of them comfortable enough to say a word.

"I have to thank you, Ellen." Molly said quietly. "Your friend, he, he stayed the whole night to keep us safe when he didn't have to."

She reached down and squeezed the older woman's hand in her own. "Anything you need, we're here."

* * *

They all spent the morning sleeping. The entire Clan managed to fit in the bed Ellen conjured for them; not a single person was not touching another at any time. It was comforting and when they finally woke none of them wanted to move from the pile they had made.

The Clan came down for lunch to find that everyone's belongings had arrived from Hogwarts and they were preparing to head to St. Mungo's. Everybody but Harry was extremely happy, chattering away as they changed into Muggle clothes. Tonks and Moody arrived soon to escort them; Ellen squealed loudly and launched herself at Tonks, having missed her new friend dearly while at Hogwarts.

Moody eyed the Noah suspiciously but led them all to the underground anyways. Ellen allowed Tyki to hold her close the entire time they were in Muggle London, just enjoying the feeling of being so public with the one she loved. She could hear Sheril lecturing Jasdevit and Rhode as they tried tormenting the other passengers while the rest of the children just sat there quietly, Harry and Tonks talking off to the side.

"Not far from here," grunted Moody once they excited the underground onto a store-lined street. They moved quickly and quietly until they arrived outside a large, old-fashioned, red brick department store called Purge and Dowse Ltd. The place had a shabby, miserable air; the window displays consisted of a few chipped dummies with their wigs askew, standing at random and modeling fashions at least ten years out of date. Large signs on all the dusty doors read closed for refurbishment.

They all quickly stepped through the class, leading into the lobby of the hospital. Witches and wizards in lime-green robes were walking up and down the rows, asking questions and making notes on clipboards like Umbridge's. She noticed the emblem embroidered on their chests: a wand and bone, crossed. They must have been the Healers.

"Over here!" called Molly and they followed her to the queue in front of a plump blonde witch seated at a desk marked inquiries.

"Hello," she said. "My husband, Arthur Weasley, was supposed to be moved to a different ward this morning, could you tell us — ?"

"Arthur Weasley?" said the witch, running her finger down a long list in front of her. "Yes, first floor, second door on the right, Dai Llewellyn ward."

"Thank you," said Molly. "Come on, you lot."

They followed her along the narrow corridor, the children and Tonks close behind while the Noah and Moody kept their distance. They climbed up a flight of stairs and followed her into the second door on the right labelled **_Dai Llewellyn Ward: Serious Bites_**.

"We'll wait outside, Molly," Tonks said. "Arthur won't want too many visitors at once. It ought to be just the family first."

Mad-Eye growled his approval of this idea and set himself with his back against the corridor wall, his magical eye spinning in all directions. Harry drew back too, but Molly reached out a hand and pushed him through the door, saying, "Don't be silly, Harry, Arthur wants to thank you."

Sheril looked as if he was going to follow but his brother grabbed his arm and shook his head. The twins and Rhode were discussing something quietly further down; Ellen wasn't concerned about them though. She turned to Tonks and Moody with a smile.

"So," She began, squeezing Tyki's hand in her own. "You finally get to meet the lot of us, eh Moody?"

"Scrawny bunch, aren't ya?" Moody replied gruffly.

Ellen and Tonks both giggle and made eye contact. "I might as well introduce you all to them." She gestured down to where Rhode and the twins were now playing a game of slap-hand. "Those three are Rhode, Jasdero, and Devit. The man with glasses is Sheril, though I'm sure you met him last night."

The pair nodded, staring down at the Noah. "And this right here," Ellen lifted their joined hands, "is Tyki. Tyki, this is Tonks and Alastor Moody. They're trained Aurors."

Tyki nodded at them politely before murmuring that he needed to speak with his brother. He walked over to the other Noah, leaving Ellen alone with the two Order members.

"Wotcher, he's something." Tonks said, admiring Tyki from across the corridor. "This is all of you?"

"Yup," Ellen grimaced. "Trust me, those five are worth more than an entire army. You shouldn't underestimate them."

"That Sheril fellow stays vigilant," Moody said. "Not so sure about the others.."

He trailed off, eying where Rhode and the twins were still goofing off. They were tossing Rhode's wand back and forth while the girl was trying to snatch it back from them. Ellen snickered under her breath. "Would you believe me if I said that little girl is the most dangerous one here?"

Before Moody could even respond the door swung open again, the children trooping back into the corridor. He and Tonks immediately went into the room, Sheril following closely behind. She walked over to where the teens were congregating around the door, picking up on their conversation as she grew nearer.

"Fine," Fred said coolly, rummaging in his pockets, "be like that. Don't tell us anything."

"Looking for these?" said George, holding out what looked like a tangle of flesh-colored string.

"You read my mind," said Fred, grinning. "Let's see if St. Mungo's puts Imperturbable Charms on its ward doors, shall we?"

He and George disentangled the string and separated five Extendable Ears from each other. Fred and George handed them around, freezing when they met Ellen's eyes.

"Really?" She raised her brow. "Oh for the love of it, just don't get caught."

Harry hesitated to take one. "Go on, Harry, take it! You saved Dad's life, if anyone's got the right to eavesdrop on him it's you."

Grinning, Harry took the end of the string and inserted it into his ear as the twins had done.

"Okay, go!" Fred whispered. The flesh-colored strings wriggled like long skinny worms, then snaked under the door. The children listened for a moment before Harry jerked up, pulling the thing out of his ear. The other children were looking at him with fear in their eyes. They all survived in relative silence until it was time to leave, heading towards the tube.

"Are you all right, Harry, dear?" whispered Molly, leaning across Ginny to speak to him as the train rattled along through its dark tunnel. "You don't look very well. Are you feeling sick?"

They all looked over at him, Ellen's heart breaking for the boy. They spent the rest of the ride speaking among themselves, Harry's eyes never moving from the spot he glued them to.

"Harry, dear, are you sure you're all right?" said Molly in a worried voice, as they walked around the unkempt patch of grass in the middle of Grimmauld Place. "You look ever so pale. Are you sure you slept this morning? You go upstairs to bed right now, and you can have a couple of hours' sleep before dinner, all right?"

He nodded and disappeared for the rest of the day. Everybody else spent the following morning putting up Christmas decorations. Ellen giggled at Sirius's good mood. Her friend was practically prancing around, singling Christmas carols like a giddy little boy. She couldn't help but worry when Harry disappeared again, refusing to take meals.

* * *

It was late that evening when Hermione finally arrived at Grimmauld Place. Ellen hugged her tightly and pushed her towards the staircase. "You need to talk to him." She said quickly. "You, Ron, and Ginny. He's a mess and no one can get through to him."

The girl nodded and headed up the stairs to let the others fill her in on what was happening. Ellen could finally hear the sound of her knocking on Harry's door when she heaved a sigh of relief. She followed Hermione's footsteps quietly, trailing behind them when they finally went into Harry's room.

They had just started to confront Harry when she decided that it was time for her to but in.

"Oh, stop feeling all misunderstood," said Hermione sharply when Ellen swung the door open quietly. They looked over at her but jumped right back into the conversation. "Look, the others have told me what you overheard last night on the Extendable Ears —"

"Yeah?" growled Harry, his hands deep in his pockets as he watched the snow now falling thickly outside. "All been talking about me, have you? Well, I'm getting used to it."

"We wanted to talk to you, Harry," said Ginny, "but as you've been hiding ever since we got back —"

"I didn't want anyone to talk to me," said Harry, annoyance clearly written on his face.

"Well, that was a bit stupid of you," said Ginny angrily, "seeing as you don't know anyone but me who's been possessed by You-Know-Who, and I can tell you how it feels."

"I forgot," he said.

"Lucky you," said Ginny coolly.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, and he meant it. "So so do you think I'm being possessed, then?"

"Well, can you remember everything you've been doing?" Ginny asked. "Are there big blank periods where you don't know what you've been up to?"

"No," he said.

"Then You-Know-Who hasn't ever possessed you," said Ginny simply. "When he did it to me, I couldn't remember what I'd been doing for hours at a time. I'd find myself somewhere and not know how I got there."

"That dream I had about your dad and the snake, though —"

"Harry, you've had these dreams before," Hermione said. "You had flashes of what Voldemort was up to last year."

"This was different," said Harry, shaking his head. "I was inside that snake. It was like I was the snake. What if Voldemort somehow transported me to London — ?"

"One day," said Hermione, sounding thoroughly exasperated, "you'll read Hogwarts, A History, and perhaps that will remind you that you can't Apparate or Disapparate inside Hogwarts. Even Voldemort couldn't just make you fly out of your dormitory, Harry."

"You didn't leave your bed, mate," said Ron. "I saw you thrashing around in your sleep about a minute before we could wake you up."

"It sounds like you're sharing a headspace." A voice piped up from behind Ellen. Rhode pushed her way in and stared Harry down. "I used to do things like that to my host before she gave up. It's rather fun, really."

"Don't antagonize!" Ellen hissed before moving to sit down next to Hermione. "But she does have a point Harry. Anyone in the Clan can tell you what it's like sharing your mind with someone. We've all gotten dreams like that before we awakened. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner..."

"What does that mean for Harry?" Ginny asked. "You-Know-Who is in his head?"

"Something like that," Rhode giggled, sitting herself down in Ellen's lap. "Think of it like a door connecting their minds. Somehow that connection was made and your big, bad Dark Lord has been using it to waltz on in Harry's mind. All Harry has to do is learn how to lock the door and Voldemort won't be able to get in without a struggle."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Harry's eyes were wide with worry.

Rhode's grin became wicked the longer he stared at her. "Oh, this is going to be so much _fun_!"

* * *

Half an hour later found Ellen in bed with Rhode and Tyki, the former resting her head in Ellen's lap while she ran her fingers through the little Noah's short black hair. The others had left while Ellen and Rhode were speaking with Harry, claiming that they had obligations of their own and that the rest of the Clan could handle themselves. Sheril obviously was right down the street with his wife, but it was surprising for Ellen to learn that the twins had made a home in Germany working as Aurors for their Ministry of Magic.

Rhode sighed softly and snuggled closer against Ellen's thighs. "The Order is keeping information from us."

"What makes you say that?" Ellen frowned, pausing in her motions with Rhode's hair.

"I tried to peek into the old man's mind. He's a good Occlumens but I was able to get something before he noticed I was there." The tiny girl admitted. "I couldn't get a clear read, but he has plans for Harry. He thinks that the boy is special somehow and that there is a task that only Harry can complete. Has he mentioned any of this to you?"

She leaned away from the smaller Noah, her face twisted in confusion. "Albus hasn't told me anything. He's always been very secretive, this isn't new."

"This is your godson, is it not?" Tyki spoke from where he was shuffling a deck of cards. "Your friend should be including you in these plans, he is the one that made the boy your responsibility."

Ellen huffed and leaned back, her bangs falling over her eyes. Tyki did have a point. She has full intentions of allowing Harry to live with her after all of this mess and she needed to know these things. What if he was in even more danger than just facing Voldemort? What was so important that Albus felt the need to hide it from everyone around him, including his oldest friend?

She rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration, Rhode piping up from her place in her lap. "Why doesn't the brat live with you anyways? I thought humans gave their spawn to the godparents when they died?"

"He was supposed to go to Sirius, but after what happened with the Longbottoms we had all agreed that if something were to happen then Harry would be safest on the Ark." She explained bitterly. "But when I went to get him, Albus told me they had placed blood wards around Lily's sister's home and that it would protect him..."

The other two looked at each other before before breaking out into derisive laughter. Ellen jerked away from them, scowling. "What?"

"My love, blood wards are only affective if the guardian is fully accepting of the child. From what you have told me of Harry's life the most protection that boy has gotten was from locking the door to keep out burglars." Tyki chucked. "If your Voldemort finds where he lives, the boy will die."

She leaned back to her previous position, her stomach twisted in knots. "So what do we do?"

"We take him with us." Rhode said firmly.

"What?" Ellen scoffed. "We can't just take Harry. The Order would notice the second he was gone."

Rhode rolled over and rested her chin in her hands. "Allen, we stole you from the Black Order multiple times and you literally had someone with you at all times. We can handle grabbing a teenage boy from the suburbs."

"We can't do this without asking Harry. It's his life." Ellen argued. "You took me from the Black Order because I wanted you to."

The smaller girl shook her head. "They don't trust us Allen. I was flying on Lero the other night and I heard them in your common room. Hermione thinks that we're dark, she'll influence Harry before too long."

Ellen sighed deeply and did not speak again. She was too busy trying to convince herself that it didn't matter if the children didn't trust her; she was there for them to protect them and keep them out of harms way. Rhode got up a few minutes later and bid them goodnight, pressing a kiss to Ellen's cheek.

She undressed and got ready for bed silently before settling under the covers, snuggling close to Tyki when he slid in moments later. Her cheek pressed against his warm chest as she looked up at him, her heart in her throat. "Do you really think taking him is what's best for Harry?"

"I do," Tyki murmured. "But you have to make that choice, _amor_. I cannot make it for you."

"I know," She sighed, her heart sitting in her throat. "I know."

* * *

 **Plans are being made and lines are being drawn. Did someone say sequel set up? I think someone said sequel set up ;)**

 **I've done my best to make Rhode and Ellen have a very sisterly relationship. A lot of what they do and the way that they interact is the way that my own little sister and I are with each other. I can see Rhode being very physically affectionate**


	13. Chapter 13

Ellen and Tyki woke on Christmas morning to find a stack of presents waiting at the foot of their bed. There were smaller piles for the other Noah who had left for Sheril's home down the street two days earlier to spend the holiday with his wife and her family.

"This is our first Christmas, you know?" Ellen murmured against her husband's neck.

He pulled her closer to him, kissing her forehead softly. "I would say it is long overdue, _menina_."

"Tyki!" Ellen squealed when he suddenly rolled them over, leaving her straddling across his waist. He looked her body up and down, a smug look on his face when she reached down and tweaked his nose.

"What? It's Christmas!" He smiled widely, pouting when she slid off of him.

Ellen rolled her eyes playfully and tugged at his arm. "Right, it's Christmas and we have presents to open! Get up, you great lump!"

With a few more tugs, Tyki was finally rising up out of the bed, settling down next to where Ellen was practically bouncing with excitement. She laughed in delight when Tyki unwrapped his very own Weasley jumper, the dark purple yarn standing out against his tan skin. Her own sweater was a beautiful mustard yellow color and she slid it on with a grin. They opened their other presents quickly, a happy feeling in the air.

Tyki had gotten magizoology books from Sheril and his wife, a new pair of dragon-hide gloves from Rhode, and a 'grow your own butterfly' kit from Jasdevit which inspired a new round of teasing from his wife. Ellen received candy from Harry and Ron, an enchanted planner from Hermione, a scarf, hat, and gloves from Rhode, Sheril, and his wife. The last gift she opened was a muggle box of condoms from Jasdevit, throwing it across the room with flushed cheeks.

Her eyes widened when Tyki simply handed her a sealed envelope when it came time for them to exchange presents. She tore into it carefully and a picture fluttered out onto the ground. With shaking hands she picked it up, gasping when she saw what it was.

In the picture was a small cottage nestled between a set of shops Ellen remembered seeing at Hogsmeade. Tyki was waving at her from the picture while a portly man handed him what looked like a set of keys. She let the picture fall back to the ground and looked up at her husband.

"I thought about what you said about having a home in Hogsmeade." Tyki admitted, taking her hands in his own. "It's all ours, _menina_. We have a home."

She threw herself at him with a smile, pressing kisses all over his face. "You aren't joking? You're serious?"

"What I say is true." He promised, cutting her off with a heated kiss. They fell to the ground with a laugh before continuing to kiss. Ellen finally pulled away, slightly out of breath but smiling.

She reached under the bed and pulled out a muggle manila envelope. "It isn't as grand a gesture as buying a house, but it took Jasdevit _forever_ to find."

He opened the envelope quickly and his smile widened when he pulled out the aged piece of parchment. "Our marriage certificate.." Tyki breathed out. "How..?"

"It took a lot of searching, let me tell you." Ellen kissed him softly. "They found it in the archives underneath the Vatican. It must have been confiscated when they raided the manor after the Clan abandoned it. But it's the real thing, proof of the marriage between Allen Walker and Lord Tyki Mikk."

He lifted her up and threw her back onto the bed, her laughter quickly vanishing when he kissed her thoroughly. The locked the door with a quick wave of a wand and focused entirely on each other, the rest of the morning melting away.

* * *

They did not leave their bed until they heard someone calling for Christmas lunch. The pair dressed hastily and tidied themselves up with a few quick charms. Everyone was already eating when they finally made their way into the kitchen. Ellen carefully avoided Remus's gaze when Molly announced that they were going to be making another visit to Arthur.

Sheril had volunteered up his wife's car and before they knew it they were all on the way. The car had an Enlarging Spell on it for sure, as all twelve of them fit inside the tiny vehicle without a problem. The journey to St. Mungo's was quite quick, as there was very little traffic on the roads. A small trickle of witches and wizards were creeping furtively up the otherwise deserted street to visit the hospital. Harry and the others got out of the car, and Sheril drove off with a promise that he would be there when they were done.

They found Arthur propped up in bed with the remains of his turkey dinner on a tray in his lap and a rather sheepish expression on his face.

"Everything all right, Arthur?" asked Molly, after they had all greeted Arthur and handed over their presents.

"Fine, fine," said Arthur, a little too heartily. "You — er — haven't seen Healer Smethwyck, have you?"

"No," said Molly suspiciously, "why?"

"Nothing, nothing," said Arthur airily, starting to unwrap his pile of gifts. "Well, everyone had a good day? What did you all get for Christmas? Oh, Harry — this is absolutely wonderful —"

For he had just opened Harry's gift of fuse-wire and screwdrivers. Molly did not seem entirely satisfied with Arthur's answer. As her husband leaned over to shake Harry's hand, she peered at the bandaging under his nightshirt.

"Arthur," she said, with a snap in her voice like a mousetrap, "you've had your bandages changed. Why have you had your bandages changed a day early, Arthur? They told me they wouldn't need doing until tomorrow."

"What?" said Arthur, looking rather frightened and pulling the bed covers higher up his chest. "No, no — it's nothing — it's — I —"

He seemed to deflate under Molly's piercing gaze."Well — now don't get upset, Molly, but Augustus Pye had an idea. He's the Trainee Healer, you know, lovely young chap and very interested in um complementary medicine. I mean, some of these old Muggle remedies well, they're called stitches, Molly, and they work very well on — on Muggle wounds —"

Molly let out an ominous noise somewhere between a shriek and a snarl. Remus strolled away from the bed and over to the werewolf, who had no visitors and was looking rather wistfully at the crowd around Arthur; Bill muttered something about getting himself a cup of tea and Fred and George leapt up to accompany him, grinning.

"Do you mean to tell me," said Molly, her voice growing louder with every word and apparently unaware that her fellow visitors were scurrying for cover, "that you have been messing about with Muggle remedies?"

"Not messing about, Molly, dear," said Arthur imploringly. "It was just — just something Pye and I thought we'd try — only, most unfortunately — well, with these particular kinds of wounds — it doesn't seem to work as well as we'd hoped —"

"Meaning?"

"Well well, I don't know whether you know what — what stitches are?"

"It sounds as though you've been trying to sew your skin back together," said Molly with a snort of mirthless laughter, "but even you, Arthur, wouldn't be that stupid —"

"I fancy a cup of tea too," said Harry, jumping to his feet. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny almost sprinted to the door with him. Ellen grabbed Tyki by the wrist and followed them out quickly. As the door swung closed behind them, they heard Molly shriek, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THAT'S THE GENERAL IDEA?"

"Typical Dad," said Ginny, shaking her head as they set off up the corridor. "

They walked along the corridor through a set of double doors and found a rickety staircase lined with more portraits of brutal-looking Healers. As they climbed it, the various Healers called out to them, diagnosing odd complaints and suggesting horrible remedies. Ron was seriously affronted when a medieval wizard called out that he clearly had a bad case of spattergroit.

He rounded on the others after dealing with the portrait. "What floor's this?"

"I think it's the fifth," said Hermione.

"Nah, it's the fourth," said Harry, "one more —"

But as he stepped onto the landing he came to an abrupt halt, staring at the small window set into the double doors that marked the start of a corridor signposted spell damage. A man was peering out at them all with his nose pressed against the glass. He had wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a broad vacant smile that revealed dazzlingly white teeth.

"Blimey!" said Ron, also staring at the man.

"Oh my goodness," said Hermione suddenly, sounding breathless.

"Professor Lockhart!"

"Well, hello there!" he said. "I expect you'd like my autograph, would you?"

"Hasn't changed much, has he?" Harry muttered to Ginny, who grinned.

"Er — how are you, Professor?" said Ron, sounding slightly guilty. Ellen couldn't help but wonder why he felt so bad for the man that was obviously their old professor.

"I'm very well indeed, thank you!" The man exuberantly, pulling a rather battered peacock-feather quill from his pocket. "Now, how many autographs would you like? I can do joined-up writing now, you know!"

"Er — we don't want any at the moment, thanks," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry, who asked, "Professor, should you be wandering around the corridors? Shouldn't you be in a ward?"

The smile faded slowly from Lockhart's face. For a few moments he gazed intently at Harry, then he said, "Haven't we met?"

"Er yeah, we have," said Harry. "You used to teach us at Hogwarts, remember?"

"Teach?" repeated Lockhart, looking faintly unsettled. "Me? Did I?"

And then the smile reappeared upon his face so suddenly it was rather alarming. "Taught you everything you know, I expect, did I? Well, how about those autographs, then? Shall we say a round dozen, you can give them to all your little friends then and nobody will be left out!"

But just then a head poked out of a door at the far end of the corridor and a voice said, "Gilderoy, you naughty boy, where have you wandered off to?"

A motherly looking Healer wearing a tinsel wreath in her hair came bustling up the corridor, smiling warmly at Harry and the others. "Oh Gilderoy, you've got visitors! How lovely, and on Christmas Day too! Do you know, he never gets visitors, poor lamb, and I can't think why, he's such a sweetie, aren't you?"

"We're doing autographs!" Gilderoy told the Healer with another glittering smile. "They want loads of them, won't take no for an answer! I just hope we've got enough photographs!"

"Listen to him," said the Healer, taking Lockhart's arm and beaming fondly at him as though he were a precocious two-year-old. "He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might be coming back a little bit. Will you step this way? He's in a closed ward, you know, he must have slipped out while I was bringing in the Christmas presents, the door's usually kept locked not that he's dangerous! But," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "bit of a danger to himself, bless him. Doesn't know who he is, you see, wanders off and can't remember how to get back. It is nice of you to have come to see him —"

"Umm," said Ellen, gesturing uselessly at the floor above, "actually, we were just —"

But the Healer was smiling expectantly at them, and her voice trailed away into nothingness. They looked at one another rather hopelessly and then followed Lockhart and his Healer along the corridor.

"Let's not stay long," Ron said quietly.

The Healer pointed her wand at the door of the Janus Thickey ward and muttered "Alohomora." The door swung open and she led the way inside, keeping a firm grasp on Gilderoy's arm until she had settled him into an armchair beside his bed.

"This is our long-term resident ward," she informed them all in a low voice. "For permanent spell damage, you know. Of course, with intensive remedial potions and charms and a bit of luck, we can produce some improvement. Gilderoy does seem to be getting back some sense of himself, and we've seen a real improvement in Mr. Bode, he seems to be regaining the power of speech very well, though he isn't speaking any language we recognize yet. Well, I must finish giving out the Christmas presents, I'll leave you all to chat."

"And — oh, Mrs. Longbottom, are you leaving already?" Ellen jerked around. The curtains had been drawn back from the two beds at the end of the ward and two visitors were walking back down the aisle between the beds: a formidable-looking old witch wearing a long green dress, a moth-eaten fox fur, and a pointed hat decorated with what was unmistakably a stuffed vulture and, trailing behind her looking thoroughly depressed — Neville.

Her heart clenched as she took in the sight of her friends sitting in hospital beds, looking dazed. She could dimly feel Tyki tighten his grip on her hand in concern, but it was like she was in a trance. Looking at them brought her back to the night she had discovered them, all the rage and helplessness she had felt back then was flowing through her once more.

Ron had looked up at the sound of the name "Longbottom" too, and before anyone could stop him had called, "Neville!"

Neville jumped and cowered as though a bullet had narrowly missed him.

"It's us, Neville!" said Ron brightly, getting to his feet. "Have you seen? Lockhart's here! Who've you been visiting?"

"Friends of yours, Neville, dear?" said Neville's grandmother graciously, bearing down upon them all. Neville looked as though he would rather be anywhere in the world but here. A dull purple flush was creeping up his plump face and he was not making eye contact with any of them. Ellen was torn between the urge to run to Alice and Frank and wanting to shield Neville from everything that was happening at the moment.

"Ah, yes," said his grandmother, looking closely at Harry and sticking out a shriveled, clawlike hand for him to shake. "Yes, yes, I know who you are, of course. Neville speaks most highly of you."

"Er — thanks," said Harry, shaking hands. Neville did not look at him, but stared at his own feet, the color deepening in his face all the while.

"And you two are clearly Weasleys," Mrs. Longbottom continued, proffering her hand regally to Ron and Ginny in turn. "Yes, I know your parents — not well, of course — but fine people, fine people and you must be Hermione Granger?"

Hermione looked rather startled that Mrs. Longbottom knew her name, but shook hands all the same. Mrs. Longbottom's gaze finally fell on Ellen, her eyes narrowing. "And here I thought you'd run off, Miss Walker."

Ellen stared back. "I'm back now."

Mrs. Longbottom did not say a word, only turned back to Hermione. "Yes, Neville's told me all about you. Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven't you? He's a good boy," she said, casting a sternly appraising look down her rather bony nose at Neville, "but he hasn't got his father's talent, I'm afraid to say."

And she jerked her head in the direction of the two beds at the end of the ward, so that the stuffed vulture on her hat trembled alarmingly.

"What?" said Ron, looking amazed. "Is that your dad down the end, Neville?"

"What's this?" said Mrs. Longbottom sharply. "Haven't you told your friends about your parents, Neville?"

Neville took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, and shook his head. "Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of!" said Mrs. Longbottom angrily. "You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn't give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!"

"I'm not ashamed," said Neville very faintly, still looking anywhere but at the people standing in front of him.

"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it!" said Mrs. Longbottom.

"My son and his wife," she said, turning haughtily to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, "were tortured into insanity by You-Know-Who's followers."

Hermione and Ginny both clapped their hands over their mouths. Ron stopped craning his neck to catch a glimpse of Neville's parents and looked mortified.

"They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the Wizarding community," Mrs. Longbottom went on. "Highly gifted, the pair of them. I — yes, Alice dear, what is it?"

Neville's mother had come edging down the ward in her nightdress. Ellen felt her eyes prickle as she truly looked at her friend for the first time in fifteen years. No longer was Alice the round faced, happy girl she had known. In her place was a pale, gaunt looking woman with haunted eyes. She did not seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made timid motions toward Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand.

"Again?" said Mrs. Longbottom, sounding slightly weary. "Very well, Alice dear, very well — Neville, take it, whatever it is."

But Neville had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper.

"Very nice, dear," said Neville's grandmother in a falsely cheery voice, patting his mother on the shoulder. But Neville said quietly, "Thanks Mum."

His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself. Neville looked around at the others, his expression defiant, as though daring them to laugh.

"Well, we'd better get back," sighed Mrs. Longbottom, drawing on long green gloves. "Very nice to have met you all. Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now."

But as they left, Ellen was sure she saw Neville slip the wrapper into his pocket. The door closed behind them.

"I never knew," said Hermione, who looked tearful.

"Nor did I," said Ron rather hoarsely.

"Nor me," whispered Ginny.

They all looked at Harry.

"I did," he said glumly. "Dumbledore told me but I promised I wouldn't mention it that's what Bellatrix Lestrange got sent to Azkaban for, using the Cruciatus Curse on Neville's parents until they lost their minds."

"Bellatrix Lestrange did that?" whispered Hermione, horrified. "That woman Kreacher's got a photo of in his den?"

Ellen swallowed hard and turned towards Harry. "You lot go ahead. I, I'm going to stay here and visit them for a bit, alright?"

He looked at her with understanding. remembering the story she had told him that first night in the Ark. The four left Ellen and Tyki in the ward, walking in silence until Ron piped up. "What was that about?"

"She knew them." Is all that Harry would say, staring off down the corridor. "They were her friends."

* * *

The next couple days passed in a surprising blur. There was no mention of anything that had gone down in the hospital, and if Ellen had returned to them hours later with a depressed look on her face, no one said anything about it. Rhode and the twins had returned to Grimmauld place the day after Christmas, explaining that Sheril had gone off with his wife to visit his in-law's.

Though Rhode had promised Harry that they would work on keeping Voldemort out, she had yet to approach him about it again. "Now isn't the time." Was all she said when asked. "He has to be more open to it or it will never work."

Unfortunately, the Order didn't agree with her policy and they had decided that Snape was to be teaching Harry Occlumency in the meantime. And oh, how they had fought over it. The entire announcement had been met by resistance from the Clan, who insisted that they be the ones to handle the matter.

"We actually know a thing about sharing a headspace!" Rhode had snapped during one meeting, her eyes a glowing yellow. "You stupid humans don't know anything!"

But in the end, Snape was to be the one to teach him and there was nothing that Ellen could do about it. That decision brought them to where they were at that point. Harry had been arguing against the lessons for over an hour. Snape and Sirius had come almost come to blows when the kitchen door opened and the entire Weasley family, plus Hermione, came inside, all looking very happy, with Arthur walking proudly in their midst dressed in a pair of striped pajamas covered by a mackintosh.

"Cured!" he announced brightly to the kitchen at large. "Completely cured!"

He and all the other Weasleys froze on the threshold, gazing at the scene in front of them, which was also suspended in mid-action, both Sirius and Snape looking toward the door with their wands pointing  
into each other's faces. Harry was between the two looking like he was trying to stop him while Rhode and Ellen had the older men in firm grips, separating them.

"Merlin's beard," said Arthur, the smile sliding off his face, "what's going on here?"

Both Sirius and Snape lowered their wands as best as they could. When Rhode released him, Snape pocketed his wand and swept back across the kitchen, passing the Weasleys without comment. At the door he looked back. "Six o'clock Monday evening, Potter."

He was gone. Sirius glared after him, his wand at his side.

"But what's been going on?" asked Arthur again.

"Nothing, Arthur," said Sirius, rubbing his arm where Ellen had been holding him. "Just a friendly little chat between two old school friends." With what looked like an enormous effort, he smiled. "So you're cured? That's great news, really great."

"Yes, isn't it?" said Molly, leading her husband forward into a chair. "Healer Smethwyck worked his magic in the end, found an antidote to whatever that snake's got in its fangs, and Arthur's learned his lesson about dabbling in Muggle medicine, haven't you, dear?" she added, rather menacingly.

"Yes, Molly dear," said Arthur meekly.

That night's meal should have been a cheerful one with Mr. Weasley back amongst them; Sirius was angry underneath the facade he was putting on, Ellen could just tell. She quietly told Moody to get Harry out of the room was dinner was done so that she could speak to her old friend in private.

Once it was just them, she reached over and lightly flicked his nose. "Ow!" Sirius complained, rubbing his face. "What was that for?"

"Would it kill you to not be a total git for once in your life?" Ellen shrilled. "I don't bloody care about your issues with Snape, this isn't about you!"

"I don't trust him with Harry." Sirius snapped in response.

"And neither do I!" She threw her hands in the air. "You know that I want nothing more that for the Order to let Rhode handle this."

Sirius snorted in derision. "Of course you do. You think that everything can be fixed with your little Clan, don't you? Just think we're all so useless now that you've got them?"

"It isn't like that!"

"The bloody hell it's not!" Sirius roared, his anger finally coming to the surface. "All I've heard you say for the last seventeen years is how awful they are, how dangerous they are, but now that you've been shagging one they're suddenly people that we should trust?"

Her hand smacked across his face with a loud crack. "How. Dare. You." Ellen seethed. "He is my _husband_ , not some random bloke that I decided to shack up with!"

"Must be one hell of a husband to make you change your mind so quickly!" He rolled his eyes. "Weren't you the one that went into hiding for over week not just a few months ago because the thought of them even knowing where you were was so bloody terrifying? What happened to that?"

"They're my family, Sirius." Ellen cried out. "They're all that I've got that is real and true. You're all going to leave me one day and there's nothing I can do to stop it. Do you want me to be alone like that again?"

"I thought I was your family too." He said quietly, turning away from her.

Ellen's face softened for a moment. "You know that you're my family, Paddy. No one could ever replace you. But the Clan, they're something different."

She turned him back to face her, cupping his face in her hands. "They were the first ones to see me as me. Not as a dog, or a monster, or even a prophecy. These people looked at me just like you did and they saw Allen Walker, nothing more, nothing less. I can't just walk away from them again. They've changed so much Sirius, we can trust them."

"You really think that we can?" Sirius leaned into her hold, the tension melting from his body. "Ellen, what if this is all just a show and they take off with you in the middle of the night like they promised."

"Rhode was being a tiny bit dramatic with that." Ellen admitted with a small laugh. "They aren't going anywhere. They've all got lives now. Jasdevit are _Beschützer_ with the German ministry, Sheril has a wife, Rhode is a student. Hell, Tyki just bought us a cottage in Hogsmeade! None of them plan on leaving for a long time."

Sirius breathed out a sigh and wrapped her in a tight bear hug. "I meant what I said, no one is taking my sister away from me. I'm sorry Ellen."

"When all this is over, it'll be better." She promised him. "You can sell this ghastly place and buy a lovely, new flat and live your life the way it's meant to be lived. You can find happiness Paddy."

"I know," Sirius murmured. "But, Ellen, you need to talk to Moony. You're breaking his heart."

Ellen sighed roughly. "He's not going to like what I have to say. You know that."

"It's the right thing to do."

They held each other for a long moment while Sirius shook. Whether it was from residual anger or tears, Ellen did not know and she didn't ask. She just let her brother hug her tight. "So," he said softly. "what's with the whole Allen thing?"

"She giggled despite herself and moved to sit down. "Now that is a story in itself. You see..."

* * *

 **"You aren't joking? You're serious?" - literally my favorite line of this chapter. My brother recently proposed to his now fiancee** **and that was what she said, I thought it was the cutest thing and I wanted to include it in here somewhere :)**

 **Sorry, I know it's short but the next chapter will be out Friday and it's a real beast of a chapter so there's that :)**


	14. Chapter 14

They were to return to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus the following day, escorted once again by Tonks and Remus, both of whom were eating breakfast in the kitchen when Harry, Ron, Ellen, and Hermione arrived there next morning. The adults seemed to have been midway through a whispered conversation when the door opened; all of them looked around hastily and fell silent.

After a hurried breakfast they pulled on jackets and scarves against the chilly gray January morning. Ellen had to swallow the lump in her throat to finally say goodbye to Sirius. She kiss him quickly on the cheek and leaned forward to murmur in his ear. "Keep your ring on at all times. We need you safe."

Sirius nodded and slid the ring on his finger. He moved on to Harry, pressing a terribly wrapped package into the boy's hand. Everyone went around saying their goodbyes, tears were shed and hugs were all around. They finally found themselves ushered out into the biting cold.

The door of number twelve slammed shut behind them, leaving them alone with Remus and Tonks. They followed Remus down the front steps. "Come on, the quicker we get on the bus the better," said Tonks. Remus flung out his right arm.

BANG.

A violently purple, triple-decker bus had appeared out of thin air in front of them, narrowly avoiding the nearest lamppost, which jumped backward out of its way.

A thin, pimply, jug-eared youth in a purple uniform leapt down onto the pavement and said, "Welcome to the —"

"Yes, yes, we know, thank you," said Tonks swiftly. "On, on, get on —

They all crowded onto the bus, taking their seats in the assortment of mismatched chairs scattered across the bus. They spread out across the entire thing, Tonks with the trio in the front, the remaining Weasleys in the middle, and Ellen and Remus alone in the very back.

It was entirely awkward. She and Remus had not spoken since the incident over the summer and with the arrival of Tyki at Grimmauld Place she had avoided the werewolf altogether.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" She blurted out, cringing at the overly cheerful tone of her voice.

Remus looked at her oddly. "Is that really what you want to talk about?"

"No, it isn't." She sighed. "Remus..."

"I'm assuming he's back for good now." Remus spoke stiffly, his face guarded. "That's it then."

A spark of irritation flickered through her. How dare he just dismiss her that way? "Remus, you knew that whatever happened wasn't going to last. It was _war_. People do stupid things, they cling to people that they shouldn't just because it makes things better in the moment."

He looked at her with sad eyes. "Then why even start it?"

She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You have the same eyes as him. I never told you that, but it's true. Yours are darker but they're still the same beautiful yellow. That's what drew me to you. But in the end, you aren't him and I realized how wrong it was to use you as some sort of shallow imitation."

"You know," He started. "I kept hoping that he wouldn't come back. If he would just stay away, maybe you would have at least given it another chance."

Remus laughed bitterly, the sound so unlike him that it broke her heart. "But I guess we'll never know."

"What do you want me to say Remus?" She said exasperatedly. "Did you expect me just to leave him and run into your arms? That's never going to happen."

"Was it ever real? Did you ever love me?"

Her heart clenched at the pain in his voice. "Of course I did. I loved you the only way that I could. But in the end, my heart will always belong to him."

"You deserve someone that can love you." Ellen whispered. "You're a good man Moony, no matter what you tell yourself. There's someone out there for you, but that person isn't me. I'm sorry."

A few minutes later the Knight Bus screeched to a halt outside a small pub, which squeezed itself out of the way to avoid a collision. They could hear Stan ushering the unfortunate Madam Marsh out of the bus and the relieved murmurings of her fellow passengers on the second deck. The bus moved on again, gathering speed, until —

BANG.

They were rolling through a snowy Hogsmeade. She caught a glimpse of the Hog's Head down its side street, the severed boar's head sign creaking in the wintry wind. Flecks of snow hit the large window at the front of the bus. At last they rolled to a halt outside the gates to Hogwarts.

Remus and Tonks helped them off the bus with their luggage and then got off to say good-bye. "You'll be safe once you're in the grounds," said Tonks, casting a careful eye around at the deserted road. "Have a good term, okay?"

"Look after yourselves," said Remus, shaking hands with everyone but Ellen, stopping to say something in Harry's ear. The seven of them struggled up the slippery drive toward the castle dragging their trunks. Hermione was already talking about knitting a few elf hats before bedtime.

The next class day passed uneventfully for Ellen. She somewhat separated herself from the trio to spend the afternoon with Tyki and Albus, catching up on what the other Noah had been up to since their departure from Grimmauld Place. By the time she arrived in her dormitory she was so tired that she didn't even register her head hitting the pillow before she was asleep.

* * *

It was the next morning when Hermione's Daily Prophet arrived at the table. She smoothed it out, gazed for a moment at the front page, and then gave a yelp that caused everyone in the vicinity to stare at her.

"What?" The other three said in unison.

For an answer she spread the newspaper on the table in front of them and pointed at ten black-and-white photographs that filled the whole of the front page, nine showing wizards' faces and the tenth, a witch's. Some of the people in the photographs were silently jeering; others were tapping their fingers on the frame of their pictures, looking insolent. Each picture was captioned with a name and the crime for which the person had been sent to Azkaban.

Antonin Dolohov, read the legend beneath a wizard with a long, pale, twisted face who was sneering up at them, convicted of the brutal murders of Gideon and Fabian Prewett.

Augustus Rookwood, said the caption beneath a pockmarked man with greasy hair who was leaning against the edge of his picture, looking bored, convicted of leaking Ministry of Magic Secrets to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

But all Ellen could stare at what that picture of the witch. She had long, dark hair that looked unkempt and straggly in the picture, though the last time Ellen had seen her it was sleek, thick, and shining. She glared up at her through heavily lidded eyes, an arrogant, disdainful smile playing around her thin mouth. Her once beautiful face was haggard, insanity playing at the edges.

Bellatrix Lestrange, convicted of the torture and permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom. Ellen finally glanced away from the witch to look at the headline, anger filling her entire body.

 **MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN  
** **MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS "RALLYING POINT"  
** **FOR OLD DEATH EATERS**

"Black?" said Harry loudly. "Not — ?"

"Shhh!" whispered Hermione desperately. "Not so loud — just read it!"

 _The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban. Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, confirmed that ten high-security prisoners escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening, and that he has already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous nature of these individuals. "We find ourselves, most unfortunately, in the same position we were two and a half years ago when the murderer Sirius Black escaped," said Fudge last night. "Nor do we think the two breakouts are unrelated. An escape of this magnitude suggests outside help, and we must remember that Black, as the first person ever to break out of Azkaban, would be ideally placed to help others follow in his footsteps. We think it likely that these individuals, who include Black's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, have rallied around Black as their leader. We are, however, doing all we can to round up the criminals and beg the magical community to remain alert and cautious. On no account should any of these individuals be approached."_

"There you are, Harry," said Ron, looking awestruck. "That's why he was happy last night..."

"I don't believe this," snarled Harry, "Fudge is blaming the breakout on Sirius?"

"What other options does he have?" said Hermione bitterly. "He can hardly say, 'Sorry everyone, Dumbledore warned me this might happen, the Azkaban guards have joined Lord Voldemort' — stop whimpering, Ron — 'and now Voldemort's worst supporters have broken out too.' I mean, he's spent a good six months telling everyone you and Dumbledore are liars, hasn't he?" Hermione ripped open the newspaper and began to read the report inside.

Ellen could barely breathe she was so angry. Bellatrix, the woman she had fought so hard to get put away, was free just like that. And not only was that monster free, but they were blaming the escape on Sirius. Every time she closed her eyes she saw images of the night she fought Bellatrix, remembering the rage and helplessness that she felt knowing that even if she killed the witch it would never bring her friends back.

She looked up at the staff table to see Albus and McGonagall in a serious conversation, their heads bowed together. Her eyes swept down the table until they met Tyki's, who subtly motioned to his own eyes then pointed down. Fear gripped her heart when she looked down at the nearest reflective surface and bright yellow eyes started back at her.

With a clatter she rose from the table and began to leave, mumbling an excuse under her breath. She could faintly hear her friends calling her name but her mind was so clouded with anger that she could not make herself care. Ellen walked straight to where the Room of Requirement was, pacing back and forth in front of the tapestry. She needed a place to let her anger out.

Ellen must have spent a good hour in the Room just destroying everything with the power of the Fourteenth. Anything that she touched simply found itself disintegrating, dust settling where it once stood. It took a great amount of willpower for her to leave the room and go about her classes as if everything was normal.

But the problem was, nothing was normal.

Everyone who lived in the castle was affected by the news in one way or another. There were students that had family killed by those that had broken out, people whose best friends were suffering because of it. It was not only the students' mood that had changed. It was now quite common to come across two or three teachers conversing in low, urgent whispers in the corridors, breaking off their conversations the moment they saw students approaching.

"They obviously can't talk freely in the staffroom anymore," said Hermione in a low voice, as they passed Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout huddled together outside the Charms classroom one day. "Not with Umbridge there."

"Reckon they know anything new?" said Ron, gazing back over his shoulder at the three teachers.

"If they do, we're not going to hear about it, are we?" said Harry angrily. "Not after Decree...What number are we on now?"

For new signs had appeared on the house notice boards the morning after news of the Azkaban breakout:

 ** _— by order of —  
_** ** _The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts_**

 ** _Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information  
_** ** _that is not strictly related to the subjects they are  
_** ** _paid to teach._**

 ** _The above is in accordance with  
_** ** _Educational Decree Number Twenty-six._**

 ** _Signed:  
_** ** _High Inquisitor, Dolores Umbridge_**

While the decree had been the subject of a large amount of jokes, it was something that was also causing people to suffer. Anyone who happened to make some type of remark about the decree to Umbridge found themselves in one of her now infamous detentions.

They had all hoped that the news of the breakout would make the woman see what was really important, but it just managed to make her even more controlling. The woman was apparently tormenting the Divination teacher and it was more likely than not that she would be at the Care of Magical Creatures lessons with some type of scathing comment to make about Hagrid assisting Tyki.

With so much to worry about and so much to do — startling amounts of homework that frequently kept the fifth years working until past midnight, secret D.A. meetings, and regular meetings with Tyki— January seemed to be passing alarmingly fast. Before anyone knew it, February was there and the second Hogsmeade visit was with it. Harry seemed to be excited about his upcoming date with Cho on Valentine's Day, though it was a rather glum day for the rest.

It had not been something that people really celebrated when Ellen and Tyki were first married, but now that they were together in modern times it was frustrating that they would not get a chance to spend such a lovely holiday with each other. But all thoughts of not being with her husband were driven away when Hermione showed up the day of the visit with a letter. She turned to them with a pleased look on her face, her eyes mainly on Harry.

"Listen, Harry," she said, looking up at him. "This is really important...Do you think you could meet me in the Three Broomsticks around midday?"

"Well...I dunno," said Harry dubiously. "Cho might be expecting me to spend the whole day with her. We never said what we were going to do."

"Well, bring her along if you must," said Hermione urgently. "But will you come?"

"Well...all right, but why?"

"I haven't got time to tell you now, I've got to answer this quickly —"

And she hurried out of the Great Hall, the letter clutched in one hand and a piece of uneaten toast in the other. "Are you coming?" Harry asked Ron, but he shook his head, looking glum.

"I can't. I've got Quidditch practice." He heaved a great sigh. "I dunno why Angelina won't just let me resign..."

"What about you Ellen?" Harry asked, turning away from Ron in irritation.

She pressed her lips together grimly. "I'm probably just going to track down Hermione. I'm sure Rhode will find her way out of the castle, so at least I'll get to see her..."

" 'm sorry," Harry flushed. "Decree's making it hard on you two, isn't it?"

"I survived almost two hundred years without him, I can survive the rest of the school year." Ellen waved him off. "Well, I'm going to go find Hermione and see whatever plan she's cooked up."

* * *

Much to her dismay, Ellen did not find Hermione for quite some time. She ended up making the trek to Hogsmeade of her own, grumbling to herself the entire time. When she finally found her friend, she was surprised to see her with Luna and some blonde woman with an absolutely awful crocodile-skin handbag.

"Hermione!" She called out, jogging to catch up to them. "I've been looking for you all morning."

The other witch smiled despite herself. "Sorry, I've been busy. Ellen, you know Luna."

"I see you left your shadow behind today." Luna said dreamily. "Does it not like the cold?"

Ellen blinked in confusion. "Er, I'm not sure?"

She simply shrugged and went back to staring up into the sky. Hermione looked at the girl with annoyance before looking back to Ellen. "This is Rita Skeeter." Hermione motioned to the woman with the terrible taste. "She's going to be helping us today. Oh! We really need to get to the Three Broomsticks, Harry will be there soon."

The four women made the walk to the pub and squeezed through the crowd to find a quiet table near the back. It was awkwardly quiet for a moment until Hermione perked up and started waving. "Harry! Harry, over here!"

Ellen looked to see Harry making his way through the pub. surprise written on his face. "You're early!" said Hermione, moving along to give him room to sit down. "I thought you were with Cho, I wasn't expecting you for another hour at least!"

"Cho?" Skeeter turned in her chair to stare at Harry. "A girl?"

She snatched up her crocodile-skin handbag and groped within it. "It's none of your business if Harry's been with a hundred girls," Hermione told Skeeter coolly. "So you can put that away right now."

Skeeter had been on the point of withdrawing an acid-green quill from her bag. Looking as though she had been forced to swallow Stinksap, she snapped her bag shut again.

"What are you up to?" Harry asked, sitting down and staring from person to person.

"Little Miss Perfect was just about to tell me when you arrived," said Skeeter, taking a large slurp of her drink. "I suppose I'm allowed to talk to him, am I?" she shot at Hermione.

"Yes, I suppose you are," said Hermione coldly.

She took anothergreat gulp of her drink and said out of the corner of her mouth, "Pretty girl, is she, Harry?"

"One more word about Harry's love life and the deal's off and that's a promise," said Hermione irritably.

"What deal?" said Skeeter, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. "You haven't mentioned a deal yet, Miss Prissy, you just told me to turn up. Oh, one of these days..." She took a deep shuddering breath.

"Yes, yes, one of these days you'll write more horrible stories about Harry and me," said Hermione indifferently. "Find someone who cares, why don't you?"

"They've run plenty of horrible stories about Harry this year without my help," said Skeeter, shooting a sideways look at him over the top of her glass and adding in a rough whisper, "How has that made you feel, Harry? Betrayed? Distraught? Misunderstood?"

"He feels angry, of course," said Hermione in a hard, clear voice. "Because he's told the Minister of Magic the truth and the Minister's too much of an idiot to believe him."

"So you actually stick to it, do you, that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?" Skeeter asked. "You stand by all this garbage Dumbledore's been telling everybody about You-Know-Who returning and you being the sole witness — ?"

"I wasn't the sole witness," snarled Harry. "There were a dozen-odd Death Eaters there as well. Want their names?"

"I'd love them," breathed Skeeter, now fumbling in her bag once more and gazing at him as though he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. "A great bold headline: 'Potter Accuses...' A subheading: 'Harry Potter Names Death Eaters Still Among Us.' And then, beneath a nice big photograph of you: 'Disturbed teenage survivor of You-Know-Who's attack, Harry Potter, 15, caused outrage yesterday by accusing respectable and prominent members of the Wizarding community of being Death Eaters...' "

The Quick-Quotes Quill was actually in her hand and halfway to her mouth when the rapturous expression died out of her face. "But of course," she said, lowering the quill and looking daggers at Hermione, "Little Miss Perfect wouldn't want that story out there, would she?"

"As a matter of fact," said Hermione sweetly, "that's exactly what Little Miss Perfect does want."

Ellen felt her jaw drop slightly and knew that she was not the only one wearing an expression of pure shock on her face.

"You want me to report what he says about He-Who-Must-NotBe-Named?" Skeeter asked Hermione in a hushed voice.

"Yes, I do," said Hermione. "The true story. All the facts. Exactly as Harry reports them. He'll give you all the details, he'll tell you the names of the undiscovered Death Eaters he saw there, he'll tell you what Voldemort looks like now — oh, get a grip on yourself," she added contemptuously, throwing a napkin across the table, for at the sound of Voldemort's name, Skeeter had jumped so badly that she had slopped half her glass of firewhisky down herself.

Rita blotted the front of her grubby raincoat, still staring at Hermione. Then she said baldly, "The Prophet wouldn't print it. In case you haven't noticed, nobody believes his cock-and-bull story. Everyone thinks he's delusional. Now, if you let me write the story from that angle —"

"We don't need another story about how Harry's lost his marbles!" said Hermione angrily. "We've had plenty of those already, thank you! I want him given the opportunity to tell the truth!"

"There's no market for a story like that," said Rita coldly.

"You mean the Prophet won't print it because Fudge won't let them," said Hermione irritably.

Rita gave Hermione a long, hard look. Then, leaning forward across the table toward her, she said in a businesslike tone, "All right, Fudge is leaning on the Prophet, but it comes to the same thing. They won't print a story that shows Harry in a good light. Nobody wants to read it. It's against the public mood. This last Azkaban breakout has got people quite worried enough. People just don't want to believe You-Know-Who's back."

"So the Daily Prophet exists to tell people what they want to hear, does it?" said Hermione scathingly.

Rita sat up straight again, her eyebrows raised, and drained her glass of firewhisky. "The Prophet exists to sell itself, you silly girl," she said coldly.

"My dad thinks it's an awful paper," said Luna, chipping into the conversation unexpectedly. Sucking on her cocktail onion, she gazed at Rita with her enormous, protuberant, slightly mad eyes. "He publishes important stories that he thinks the public needs to know. He doesn't care about making money."

Rita looked disparagingly at Luna. "I'm guessing your father runs some stupid little village newsletter?" she said. " 'Twenty-five Ways to Mingle with Muggles' and the dates of the next Bring-and-Fly Sale?"

"No," said Luna, dipping her onion back into her gillywater, "he's the editor of The Quibbler."

Rita snorted so loudly that people at a nearby table looked around in alarm. " 'Important stories he thinks the public needs to know'?" she said witheringly. "I could manure my garden with the contents of that rag."

"Well, this is your chance to raise the tone of it a bit, isn't it?" said Hermione pleasantly. "Luna says her father's quite happy to take Harry's interview. That's who'll be publishing it."

Rita stared at them both for a moment and then let out a great whoop of laughter. "The Quibbler!" she said, cackling. "You think people will take him seriously if he's published in The Quibbler?"

"Some people won't," said Hermione in a level voice. "But the Daily Prophet's version of the Azkaban breakout had some gaping holes in it. I think a lot of people will be wondering whether there isn't a better explanation of what happened, and if there's an alternative story available, even if it is published in a" — she glanced sideways at Luna, "in a — well, an unusual magazine — I think they might be rather keen to read it."

Rita did not say anything for a while, but eyed Hermione shrewdly, her head a little to one side. "All right, let's say for a moment I'll do it," she said abruptly. "What kind of fee am I going to get?"

"I don't think Daddy exactly pays people to write for the magazine," said Luna dreamily. "They do it because it's an honor, and, of course, to see their names in print."

"I'm supposed to do this for free?"

"Well, yes," said Hermione calmly, taking a sip of her drink. "Otherwise, as you very well know, I will inform the authorities that you are an unregistered Animagus. Of course, the Prophet might give you rather a lot for an insider's account of life in Azkaban..."

Ellen snorted into her firewhisky, earning a glare from the writer. "What?" She asked. "I'm just here for back up, don't mind me."

"I don't suppose I've got any choice, have I?" said Rita, her voice shaking slightly. She opened her crocodile bag once more, withdrew a piece of parchment, and raised her Quick-Quotes Quill.

"Daddy will be pleased," said Luna brightly. A muscle twitched in Rita's jaw.

"Okay, Harry?" said Hermione, turning to him. "Ready to tell the public the truth?"

"I suppose," said Harry, watching Rita balancing the QuickQuotes Quill at the ready on the parchment between them.

"Fire away, then, Rita," said Hermione serenely, fishing a cherry out of the bottom of her glass.

Luna said vaguely that she did not know how soon Rita's interview with Harry would appear in The Quibbler, that her father was expecting a lovely long article on recent sightings of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. "And, of course, that'll be a very important story, so Harry's might have to wait for the following issue," said Luna.

* * *

They entered the Great Hall for breakfast at exactly the same moment as the post owls on Monday morning. Hermione was not the only person eagerly awaiting her Daily Prophet: Nearly everyone was eager for more news about the escaped Death Eaters, who, despite many reported sightings, had still not been caught.

Ellen picked at her breakfast dully. Harry had been forced to continue on with Occlumency lessons with Snape and it was honestly killing her that there was nothing she could do about it. Despite the fact that Rhode had offered to help, the other Noah still insisted that Harry wasn't ready for the training that she could give him. She was yanked out of her thoughts at the sound of Hermione's voice once again.

"Harry!" said Hermione breathlessly, pulling out a screech owl bearing a long, cylindrical package. "I think I know what this means — open this one first!"

Harry ripped off the brown packaging. Out rolled a tightly furled copy of March's edition of The Quibbler. He unrolled it to see his own face grinning sheepishly at him from the front cover. In large red letters across his picture were the words:

 **Harry POTTER SPEAKS OUT AT LAST:  
** **THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED  
** **AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN**

"It's good, isn't it?" said Luna, who had drifted over to the Gryffindor table and now squeezed herself onto the bench between Fred and Ron. "It came out yesterday, I asked Dad to send you a free copy. I expect all these," she waved a hand at the assembled owls still scrabbling around on the table in front of Harry, "are letters from readers."

"That's what I thought," said Hermione eagerly, "Harry, d'you mind if we — ?

"Help yourself," said Harry, looking slightly bemused. Ron and Hermione both started ripping open envelopes.

"This one's from a bloke who thinks you're off your rocker," said Ron, glancing down his letter. "Ah well..."

"This woman recommends you try a good course of Shock Spells at St. Mungo's," said Hermione, looking disappointed and crumpling up a second.

Ellen reached out to grab one for herself when an owl dropped a lime green envelope on her plate. She turned it over with shaking hands, looking at the St. Mungo's seal in wax. Before she even thought to open it in front of everyone she shoved it into her bag and turned her attention back to where Harry was reading more of his letters.

"This one looks okay, though," said Harry slowly, scanning a long letter from a witch in Paisley. "Hey, she says she believes me!"

"This one's in two minds," said Fred, who had joined in the letter opening with enthusiasm. "Says you don't come across as a mad person, but he really doesn't want to believe You-Know-Who's back so he doesn't know what to think now...Blimey, what a waste of parchment..."

"Here's another one you've convinced, Harry!" said Hermione excitedly. " 'Having read your side of the story I am forced to the conclusion that the Daily Prophet has treated you very unfairly...Little though I want to think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, I am forced to accept that you are telling the truth...' Oh this is wonderful!"

"Another one who thinks you're barking," said Ron, throwing a crumpled letter over his shoulder, "but this one says you've got her converted, and she now thinks you're a real hero — she's put in a photograph too — wow —"

"What is going on here?" said a falsely sweet, girlish voice. Professor Umbridge was standing behind Fred and Luna, her bulging toad's eyes scanning the mess of owls and letters on the table in front of Harry.

"Why have you got all these letters, Mr. Potter?" she asked slowly.

"Is that a crime now?" said Fred loudly. "Getting mail?"

"Be careful, Mr. Weasley, or I shall have to put you in detention," said Umbridge. "Well, Mr. Potter?"

"People have written to me because I gave an interview," said Harry. "About what happened to me last June."

"An interview?" repeated Umbridge, her voice thinner and higher than ever. "What do you mean?"

"I mean a reporter asked me questions and I answered them," said Harry. "Here —"

And he threw the copy of The Quibbler at her. She caught it and stared down at the cover. Her pale, doughy face turned an ugly, patchy violet. "When did you do this?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Last Hogsmeade weekend," said Harry.

She looked up at him, incandescent with rage, the magazine shaking in her stubby fingers. "There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you, Mr. Potter," she whispered. "How you dare...how you could..." She took a deep breath. "I have tried again and again to teach you not to tell lies. The message, apparently, has still not sunk in. Fifty points from Gryffindor and another week's worth of detentions."

"You can't do that!" Ellen finally blurted out. "He didn't do anything wrong!"

"The Ministry put its faith in you, Miss Walker." Umbridge smiled mockingly. "Such a shame..."

She stalked away, clutching The Quibbler to her chest, the eyes of many students following her. By mid-morning enormous signs had been put up all over the school, not just on House notice boards, but in the corridors and classrooms too.

 **— by order of —**

 **The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts  
** **Any student found in possession of the magazine The Quibbler  
** **will be expelled.**

 **The above is in accordance with  
** **Educational Decree Number Twenty-seven.**

 **Signed:  
** **High Inquisitor, Dolores Umbridge**

For some reason, every time Hermione caught sight of one of these signs she beamed with pleasure.

"What exactly are you so happy about?" Harry asked her.

"Oh Harry, don't you see?" Hermione breathed. "If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it!"

And she was right. It seems that every student was discussing the Quibbler in some way. They hid copies all throughout the castle, disguising the magazine so that they could read. This seemed to infuriate Umbridge who made it her personal mission to confiscate every copy that she could.

The incidents in the castle only seemed to escalate from there. With he firing of the Divination professor and subsequent hiring of a centaur to teach the subject, the castle was abuzz with all types of news and rumors.

Meanwhile, as the teachers and Hermione persisted in reminding them, the O.W.L.s were drawing ever nearer. All the fifth years were suffering from stress to some degree, but Hannah Abbott became the first to receive a Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey after she burst into tears during Herbology and sobbed that she was too stupid to take exams and wanted to leave school now.

The D.A. lessons were the only thing that most of them had to look forward to. As Harry had been mentioning for months, they were finally starting to work on their Patronuses. Everyone was delighted to learn, but they were soon discovering that it was much more difficult than they had believed.

"You have to think of your happiest memory," Harry explained that night as he walked them though the spell. "It can be anything, it just has to be powerful enough."

Harry kept reminding them, producing a Patronus in the middle of a brightly lit classroom when they were not under threat was very different to producing it when confronted by something like a dementor.

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy," said Cho brightly, watching her silvery swan-shaped Patronus soar around the room. "They're so pretty!"

"They're not supposed to be pretty, they're supposed to protect you," said Harry patiently. "What we really need is a boggart or something; that's how I learned, I had to conjure a Patronus while the boggart was pretending to be a dementor —"

"But that would be really scary!" said Lavender, who was shooting puffs of silver vapor out of the end of her wand. "And I still — can't — do it!" she added angrily.

Neville was having trouble too. His face was screwed up in concentration, but only feeble wisps of silver smoke issued from his wand tip.

"You've got to think of something happy," Harry reminded him.

"I'm trying," said Neville miserably, who was trying so hard his round face was actually shining with sweat.

Ellen walked over from where she had been watching everyone cast. She shooed Harry away and pulled out her own wand with a small smile. "It doesn't have to be a memory." She murmured quietly to Neville. "Memories can be tainted. You can think of an idea or a dream, it just has to be happy."

She flicked her own wand, breathing out the incantation. " _Expecto Patronum._ "

Her own tiny butterfly Patronus fluttered around them before landing on the tip of Neville's wand. She let her voice drop to a whisper. "I like to think about my love." She admitted. "I imagine us together safe, after all of this is done. It works."

The room fell into a hush as a house elf entered and made a bee-line for Harry.

"Hi, Dobby!" Harry said. "What are you — what's wrong?"

"Harry Potter, sir..." squeaked the elf, trembling from head to foot, "Harry Potter, sir...Dobby has come to warn you...but the house-elves have been warned not to tell..."

"What's happened, Dobby?" Harry asked, grabbing the elf's tiny arm and holding him away from anything with which he might seek to hurt himself.

"Harry Potter...she...she..." Dobby hit himself hard on the nose with his free fist: Harry seized that too.

"Who's 'she,' Dobby?"

"Umbridge?" asked Harry, horrified.

Dobby nodded, then tried to bang his head off Harry's knees; Harry held him at bay. "What about her? Dobby — she hasn't found out about this — about us — about the D.A.?"

"Is she coming?" Harry asked quietly.

Dobby let out a howl, and began beating his bare feet hard on the floor. "Yes, Harry Potter, yes!"

Harry straightened up and looked around at the motionless, terrified people gazing at the thrashing elf. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Harry bellowed. "RUN!"

They all pelted toward the exit at once, forming a scrum at the door, then people burst through; Harry could hear them sprinting along the corridors and hoped they had the sense not to try and make it all the way to their dormitories. It was only ten to nine, if they just took refuge in the library or the Owlery, which were both nearer —

"Harry, come on!" shrieked Hermione from beside Ellen and Ron. She watched the boy tell that house elf something before taking off in a run, hoping that Harry would catch up with them.

Her hopes were crushed when she heard someone that sounded like Harry yell out. "AAARGH!"

Ron looked as if he was going to run after his friend when she grabbed him by the wrist tight. "If we get caught, this is all for nothing!" Ellen hissed, pulling him along. "We have to get out of here!"

The three of them ran to the common room at a breakneck speed, a ball of dread firmly in their guts. Something terrible was about to happen.

* * *

— **by order of —**

 **The Ministry of Magic Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor)  
** **has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
**

 **The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight.**

 **Signed: Minister of Magic**

The notices had gone up all over the school overnight, but they did not explain how every single person within the castle seemed to know that Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister of Magic, and his Junior Assistant to escape. Ellen was completely numb from the entire situation. Albus Dumbledore, her oldest friend and confidant, was no longer at Hogwarts and there was nothing that she could do to change it.

"Dumbledore will be back before long," said Ernie Macmillan confidently on the way back from Herbology after listening intently to Harry's story. "They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me..."

He dropped his voice conspiratorially, so that the four had to lean closer to him to hear, "...that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her." Ernie smirked. "Apparently she had a right little tantrum..."

"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," said Hermione viciously, as they walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old —"

"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?" Draco Malfoy had slid out from behind the door, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice. "Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.

"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy," said Ernie at once.

"Yeah, we're prefects too, remember?" snarled Ron.

"I know prefects can't dock points, Weasel King," sneered Malfoy; Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad —"

"The what?" said Hermione sharply.

"The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger," said Malfoy, pointing toward a tiny silver I upon his robes just beneath his prefect's badge. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, handpicked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points...So, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new headmistress...Macmillan, five for contradicting me...Five because I don't like you, Potter...Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that...Walker's a filthy Beast, another five for that...Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a Mudblood, Granger, so ten for that..."

Ron pulled out his wand, but Hermione pushed it away, whispering, "Don't!"

"Wise move, Granger," breathed Malfoy. "New Head, new times...Be good now, Potty...Weasel King..." He strode away, laughing heartily with Crabbe and Goyle.

"He was bluffing," said Ernie, looking appalled. "He can't be allowed to dock points...that would be ridiculous...It would completely undermine the prefect system..."

But they had turned automatically toward the giant hourglasses set in niches along the wall behind them, which recorded the House points. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been neck and neck in the lead that morning. Even as they watched, stones flew upward, reducing the amounts in the lower bulbs. In fact, the only glass that seemed unchanged was the emerald-filled one of Slytherin.

"Noticed, have you?" said Fred's voice. He and George had just come down the marble staircase and joined them all in front of the hourglasses.

"Malfoy just docked us all about fifty points," said Harry furiously, as they watched several more stones fly upward from the Gryffindor hourglass.

"Yeah, Montague tried to do us during break," said George.

"What do you mean, 'tried'?" said Ron quickly.

"He never managed to get all the words out," said Fred, "due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."

Hermione looked very shocked. "But you'll get into terrible trouble!"

"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks, I dunno where we sent him," said Fred coolly. "Anyway...we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."

"Have you ever?" asked Hermione.

" 'Course we have," said George. "Never been expelled, have we?"

"We've always known where to draw the line," said Fred.

"We might have put a toe across it occasionally," said George.

"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem," said Fred.

"But now?" said Ron tentatively.

"Well, now —" said George.

"— what with Dumbledore gone —" said Fred.

"— we reckon a bit of mayhem —" said George.

"— is exactly what our dear new Head deserves," said Fred.

"You mustn't!" whispered Hermione. "You really mustn't! She'd love a reason to expel you!"

"You don't get it, Hermione, do you?" said Fred, smiling at her. "We don't care about staying anymore. We'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So anyway," he checked his watch, "phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it."

"Anything to do with what?" said Hermione anxiously.

"You'll see," said George. "Run along, now."

Fred and George turned away and disappeared in the swelling crowd descending the stairs toward lunch. Looking highly disconcerted, Ernie muttered something about unfinished Transfiguration homework and scurried away. "I think we should get out of here, you know," said Hermione nervously. "Just in case..."

"Yeah, all right," said Ron, and the three of them moved toward the doors to the Great Hall, but Harry had barely glimpsed today's ceiling of scudding white clouds when somebody tapped him on the shoulder and, turning, he found himself almost nose to nose with Filch, the caretaker. He took several hasty steps backward; Filch was best viewed at a distance.

"The headmistress would like to see you, Potter," he leered.

"I didn't do it," said Harry.

Filch's jowls wobbled with silent laughter. "Guilty conscience, eh?" he wheezed. "Follow me..."

The rest of the afternoon went off with a bang, so to say. The twins had released a load of fireworks into the hallways and that was only the beginning truly. The next days were filled with all types of disorderly contact from the Weasley twins and Ellen loved every moment of it.

* * *

It was things like that that made the time up until Easter holidays so much easier to deal with. It was not until Harry had announced that he was done wit Occlumency lessons that Ellen began to truly worry again. Rhode still insisted that Harry was not ready for what she was going to teach him and if Harry only knew the basics, that was going to be a whole load of trouble in itself. But with exams coming up and everything, it was impossible for her to even get Harry to speak about any of it.

As though to underline the importance of their upcoming examinations, a batch of pamphlets, leaflets, and notices concerning various Wizarding careers appeared on the tables in Gryffindor Tower shortly before the end of the holidays, along with yet another notice on the board, which read:

 **CAREER ADVICE**

 **All fifth years will be required to attend a short meeting with their Head of House during the first week of the Summer term,  
in which they will be given the opportunity to discuss their future careers. Times of individual appointments are listed below.**

Ellen grimaced when she realized that she was actually going to have to participate in the advising. It was ridiculous and she was not afraid to let her friends know it either.

The other fifth years spent a considerable part of the final weekend of the Easter break reading all the career information that had been left there for their perusal.

"Well, I don't fancy Healing," said Ron on the last evening of the holidays. He was immersed in a leaflet that carried the crossed boneand-wand emblem of St. Mungo's on its front. "It says here you need at least an E at N.E.W.T. level in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I mean...blimey...Don't want much, do they?"

"Well, it's a very responsible job, isn't it?" said Hermione absently. She was poring over a bright pink-and-orange leaflet that was headed so you think you'd like to work in muggle relations? "You don't seem to need many qualifications to liaise with Muggles...All they want is an O.W.L. in Muggle Studies...'Much more important is your enthusiasm, patience, and a good sense of fun!' "

"You'd need more than a good sense of fun to liaise with my uncle," said Harry darkly. "Good sense of when to duck, more like..."

He was halfway through a pamphlet on Wizard banking. "Listen to this: " 'Are you seeking a challenging career involving travel, adventure, and substantial, danger-related treasure bonuses? Then consider a position with Gringotts Wizarding Bank, who are currently recruiting CurseBreakers for thrilling opportunities abroad...' They want Arithmancy, though...You could do it, Hermione!"

"I don't much fancy banking," said Hermione vaguely, now immersed in yet another pamphlet.

Ellen tossed the one she was holding on the ground with a loud groan. "I don't even see why I have to do this! I'm older than half these positions!"

Ron patted her on the back understandingly and passed her another one.

Her 'career appointment' arrived much sooner than she expected and she surprisingly found herself in Mcgonagall's office one afternoon. Umbridge was there next to her friend, her faithful clipboard on her knee and a smug look on her face.

"Sit down, Walker," said Professor McGonagall crisply.

"Well, Walker, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into sixth and seventh years," said Professor McGonagall. "Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?"

Ellen blinked in confusion. "Well, I was thinking about finally settling down?"

The sound of scratching filled the air as Umbridge wrote something down on that infernal clipboard. "You'll still need to get at least four N.E.W.T.s," McGonagall said. "I'd say Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. You'll want to have something to fall back on if you decide to work."

"Hem, hem." Umbridge coughed, causing McGonagall to raise her eyebrow.

"Do you have something to add, Dolores?"

"I just wondered whether Miss Walker has the qualifications for any career?" said Umbridge, with that simpering laugh.

"Whatever do you mean by that?" McGonagall gritted out.

"Well, I noticed that Miss Walker has no prior record before attending Hogwarts." Umbridge smiled cruelly at Ellen.

Ellen snorted despite herself, looking up at the woman like she was crazy. "Of course I don't!" She said incredulously. "Do you know how old I am? Women couldn't even go to school when I was born!"

Umbridge's face puckered unpleasantly. "I doubt that anyone will hire a _Beast_ anyways." She said nastily.

It took everything in Ellen not to reach across the desk and slap the bitch as hard as she could. "Classifications change every day, Professor."

"That concludes our career consultation, Walker." McGonagall said quickly, all but rushing Ellen out of her office. The Noah was fuming the entire afternoon and the idea of even going to DADA made her mood even worse. Luckily, the class period did not seem to last long at all. It was not ten minutes into the lesson when a loud BOOM! shook the room.

They all took off running out of the class to investigate. She barely had time to notice Harry running off in a different direction before she was swept up in the crowd. What they found was absolutely amazing.

The entire corridor was covered in what looked like a swamp. Students were shrieking with laughter while Umbridge and her cronies struggled to regain order. Fred and George came stepping out into the middle, looking surprisingly guilty for once.

"So!" said Umbridge triumphantly, "So...you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah," said Fred, looking back up at her without the slightest sign of fear.

Filch elbowed his way closer to Umbridge, almost crying with happiness. "I've got the form, Headmistress," he said hoarsely, waving a piece of parchment. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting...Oh, let me do it now..."

"Very good, Argus," she said. "You two," she went on, gazing down at Fred and George, "are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

"You know what?" said Fred. "I don't think we are."

He turned to his twin. "George," said Fred, "I think we've outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," said George lightly.

"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" asked Fred.

"Definitely," said George. And before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said together, "Accio Brooms!"

Fred and George's broomsticks, one still trailing the heavy chain and iron peg with which Umbridge had fastened them to the wall, were hurtling along the corridor toward their owners. They turned left, streaked down the stairs, and stopped sharply in front of the twins, the chain clattering loudly on the flagged stone floor.

"We won't be seeing you," Fred told Professor Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick.

"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch," said George, mounting his own.

Fred looked around at the assembled students, and at the silent, watchful crowd. "If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley — Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes," he said in a loud voice. "Our new premises!"

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat," added George, pointing at Professor Umbridge.

"STOP THEM!" shrieked Umbridge, but it was too late. As the Inquisitorial Squad closed in, Fred and George kicked off from the floor, shooting fifteen feet into the air, the iron peg swinging dangerously below. Fred looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd. "Give her hell from us, Peeves."

And Peeves, who had never taken an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.

* * *

 **Things are finally starting to pick up. The next few chapter will be the biggest changes to canon so stay tuned!**

 **And PLEASE review! I want to hear what all of you think of it and it really does mean a lot when I get reviews. It lets me know that there are people that actually do enjoy my writing :)**


	15. Chapter 15

The story of Fred and George's flight to freedom was retold so often over the next few days that they could all tell that it was going to become something of a Hogwarts legend. But the twins's escape had started something like a revolution. Somehow the students were acting bolder, more eager to discard the ridiculous rules that Umbridge had placed on them. That was what led Ellen to her husband's door that Friday afternoon.

Ellen spent the entire weekend after hidden away in Tyki's room. It had been over a month since they had a chance to see each other outside of class and she had missed him like crazy. He had opened the door slowly, like he was expecting Umbridge but instead received an armful of his wife.

She peppered kisses all over his face and took in the scent that was purely him. "I missed you so much."

Tyki yanked her into the room and locked the door with every spell that he knew. "Not as much as I missed you, _amor_." He kissed her neck softly. "You are sure that I cannot kill her?"

"The Order frowns upon killing," Ellen teased. "But accidents happen every day."

He growled and pulled her into a rough kiss, biting her lip as he moved away. "I love it when you get like this, such a wicked little exorcist."

With a grin he reached down and threw her over his shoulder, smacking her firmly on the bum once. Ellen laughed loudly when he threw her down on the bed in his room. They kissed eagerly for a long time, relishing in just being so close to each other again. She finally pulled away, her face pink and lips swollen. "I have news."

"Hm?" Tyki kissed her distractedly.

Ellen pulled away, nerves suddenly filling her stomach. "Well, you remember how I had some tests run after we saw Alice and Frank?"

"Did the results come in?" His eyes were wide and his grip on her hips tightened slightly.

She took a deep breath and kissed him once more. "I'm not sterile. They said there is severe scarring on my organs, but with a couple potions and some time I'll be able to have children."

Tyki smiled widely and crushed her against his chest. He pulled away slightly to kiss all over her face before trailing down. He pressed kisses all down her neck, between her breasts, and landing at her flat stomach. He kissed her bellybutton before blowing a raspberry on her stomach, Ellen automatically giggling in response.

She kept laughing, growing hysterical with each passing second. Tyki grabbed her face looking concerned but the laughter just would not stop. Her eyes started prickling, a familiar sensation but she thought nothing of it until she felt her face grow strangely wet. Ellen touched her cheek lightly, surprise filling her when her fingertips came back wet.

The tears kept flowing when she finally realized she was crying. Tyki held her tight as she sobbed for the first time she she lost their son. Every sad emotion that she had felt over the last two hundred years just came pouring out. She wept for their son, for the time they lost, for the friends that abandoned her and the friends that she lost. She cried for Harry and the injustice that his life was. She cried for poor Sirius who had lost everything and still managed to stay hopeful. She cried for Remus who deserved far better than what he had been given in life. She cried for Mana who had not been able to resist the call of the Earl, she even cried for poor, bitter Neah.

"Shh," Tyki murmured into her hair. "I've got you, it's alright."

"I…I'm crying." She finally said, looking up at him with wet eyes. "Tyki, I'm crying."

He pulled her close. "I know, _menina_. _Você precisava chorar, meu amor_."

The rest of their weekend together was spent in a similar fashion. They allowed themselves to truly feel the raw emotions that they had been ignoring or so long, finally letting those old wounds start to heal. They stayed in his bed and simply talked about everything. The way they would live, the children they were going to have. They talked about how they would finally be happy when Voldemort was gone and how they would make sure that Harry and Sirius knew that they had a family

But like all good things, it had to come to an end and Ellen found herself back in class like nothing had ever happened.

"As you can see," Professor McGonagall told the class while they copied down the dates and times of their exams from the blackboard, "your O.W.L.s are spread over two successive weeks. You will sit the theory exams in the mornings and the practice in the afternoons. Your practical Astronomy examination will, of course, take place at night. Now, I must warn you that the most stringent Anti-Cheating Charms have been applied to your examination papers. Auto-Answer Quills are banned from the examination hall, as are Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink. Every year, I am afraid to say, seems to harbor at least one student who thinks that he or she can get around the Wizarding Examinations Authority's rules. I can only hope that it is nobody in Gryffindor. Our new — headmistress has asked the Heads of House to tell their students that cheating will be punished most severely — because, of course, your examination results will reflect upon the headmistress's new regime at the school..."

Professor McGonagall gave a tiny sigh. "However, that is no reason not to do your very best. You have your own futures to think about."

"Please, Professor," said Hermione, her hand in the air, "when will we find out our results?"

"An owl will be sent to you some time in July," said Professor McGonagall.

Their first exam, Theory of Charms, was scheduled for Monday morning. The rest of the day was filled with students all over studying for the class. Even Ellen, who didn't place much importance in the exams found herself idly reading over an advanced Charms book to see if there was anything that she did not know.

Dinner was a subdued affair that night. Harry and Ron did not talk much, but ate with gusto, having studied hard all day. Hermione on the other hand kept putting down her knife and fork and diving under the table for her bag, from which she would seize a book to check some fact or figure.

Ron was just telling her that she ought to eat a decent meal or she would not sleep that night, when her fork slid from her limp fingers and landed with a loud tinkle on her plate. "Oh, my goodness," she said faintly, staring into the entrance hall. "Is that them? Is that the examiners?"

Through the doors to the Great Hall they could see Umbridge standing with a small group of ancient-looking witches and wizards. Umbridge looked rather nervous.

"Shall we go and have a closer look?" said Ron.

Professor Marchbanks must have been the tiny, stooped witch with a face so lined it looked as though it had been draped in cobwebs; Umbridge was speaking to her very deferentially. Professor Marchbanks seemed to be a little deaf; she was answering Umbridge very loudly considering that they were only a foot apart.

"Journey was fine, journey was fine, we've made it plenty of times before!" she said impatiently. "Now, I haven't heard from Dumbledore lately!" she added, peering around the hall as though hopeful he might suddenly emerge from a broom cupboard. "No idea where he is, I suppose?"

"None at all," said Umbridge, shooting a malevolent look at the four, who were now dawdling around the foot of the stairs as Ron pretended to do up his shoelace. "But I daresay the Ministry of Magic will track him down soon enough..."

"I doubt it," shouted tiny Professor Marchbanks, "not if Dumbledore doesn't want to be found! I should know...Examined him personally in Transfiguration and Charms when he did N.E.W.T.s...Did things with a wand I'd never seen before..."

"Yes...well..." said Professor Umbridge as they dragged their feet up the marble staircase as slowly as they dared, "let me show you to the staffroom...I daresay you'd like a cup of tea after your journey..."

The evening was filled with more studying. All of the fifth years were completely frazzled and found themselves all but mute in their worry about the exams. None of the fifth years talked very much at breakfast next day either. Parvati was practicing incantations under her breath while the salt cellar in front of her twitched, Hermione was rereading Achievement in Charming so fast that her eyes appeared blurred, Ellen was trying to get some of her charms to work wandlessly, and Neville kept dropping his knife and fork and knocking over the marmalade.

Once breakfast was over, the fifth and seventh years milled around in the entrance hall while the other students went off to lessons. Then, at half-past nine, they were called forward class by class to reenter the Great Hall. The four House tables had been removed and replaced instead with many tables for one, all facing the staff-table end of the Hall where Professor McGonagall stood facing them.

When they were all seated and quiet she said, "You may begin," and turned over an enormous hourglass on the desk beside her, on which were also spare quills, ink bottles, and rolls of parchment. Ellen flipped over her paper and laughed to herself. The questions were things that she had learned back when she was just starting to do magic, it was going to be easy…

"Well, it wasn't too bad, was it?" asked Hermione anxiously in the entrance hall two hours later, still clutching the exam paper. "I'm not sure I did myself justice on Cheering Charms, I just ran out of time — did you put in the countercharm for hiccups? I wasn't sure whether I ought to, it felt like too much — and on question twentythree —"

"Hermione," said Ron sternly, "we've been through this before...We're not going through every exam afterward, it's bad enough doing them once."

* * *

The rest of their exams went by smoothly. While the rest of the fifth years seemed despaired, Ellen honestly couldn't bring herself to care about scores so that was probably her biggest strength throughout. They breezed through Transfiguration and Potions, even Magical Runes wasn't that hard of an exam.

The Astronomy theory exam on Wednesday morning went well enough. They had to wait until evening for their practical Astronomy, so Ellen took the afternoon to sit by the lake with Rhode and skip rocks. When they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower at eleven o'clock they found a perfect night for stargazing, cloudless and still. The grounds were bathed in silvery moonlight, and there was a slight chill in the air.

Each of them set up his or her telescope and, when Professor Marchbanks gave the word, proceeded to fill in the blank star chart he or she had been given. Professors Marchbanks and Tofty strolled among them, watching as they entered the precise positions of the stars and planets they were observing. There was no sound except for the adjusting of telescopes and the quiet scratching of quills on parchment.

The exam was going well. She watched slowly as all the lights began to go out in the castle, people finally going to sleep. While she was looking up into her telescope, Ellen heard a distant knock that echoed through the deserted grounds, followed immediately by the muffled barking of a large dog. Her head shot up.

There were lights on in Hagrid's windows and people were silhouetted against them. The door opened and she distinctly saw six tiny but sharply defined figures walk over the threshold. The door closed again and there was silence. She shrugged and pressed her eye again to her telescope, staring up at the moon though she had forgotten to mark its position an hour ago, but as Professor Marchbanks moved on she heard a roar from the distant cabin that echoed through the darkness right to the top of the Astronomy Tower.

Several of the people around her ducked out from behind their telescopes and peered instead in the direction of Hagrid's cabin. Professor Tofty gave another dry little cough. "Try and concentrate, now, boys and girls," he said softly.

Most people returned to their telescopes. She looked to her right. Hermione and Harry were gazing transfixed at Hagrid's. "Ahem — twenty minutes to go," said Professor Tofty.

There was a loud BANG from the grounds. Hagrid's door had burst open and by the light flooding out of the cabin they saw him quite clearly, a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists, surrounded by six people, all of whom, judging by the tiny threads of red light they were casting in his direction, seemed to be attempting to Stun him.

"No!" cried Hermione.

But nobody was paying the slightest attention to their star charts anymore. Ellen could see the bright red light of _Stupefy_ shooting through the air only to bounce off of Hagrid like it was nothing. She couldn't help herself from grinning; it were those good giant genes in Hagrid that were keeping him safe.

Cries and yells echoed across the grounds; a man yelled, "Be reasonable, Hagrid!" and Hagrid roared, "Reasonable be damned, yeh won' take me like this, Dawlish!"

She watched as gentle Fang tried to defend his owner, only to be struck by a Stunning Spell. The huge dog hit the ground with a resounding thud; all was silent before Hagrid roared in fury and grabbed the man that had stunned his pet. Hagrid threw him what looked like ten, fifteen feet in his anger and when the man hit the ground he did not rise back up. Ellen couldn't stop herself from worrying at that point. Last time she had seen Hagrid that angry had been during a war and it had not ended well at all.

"Look!" squealed Parvati, pointing to where a lone figure was exiting the castle and all but sprinting towards the battle with Hagrid.

"How dare you!" the figure shouted as she ran. "How dare you!"

"It's McGonagall!" whispered Hermione.

"Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" said Professor McGonagall's voice through the darkness. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such —"

Ellen shouted in disbelief as she watched four of them shoot Stunners at her old friend. They all seemed to hit her at once, casting an eerie red glow about the woman. The force of the spells lifted her in the air and then dropped her harshly back onto the ground where she did not rise again.

"COWARDS!" bellowed Hagrid, his voice carrying clearly to the top of the tower, and several lights flickered back on inside the castle. "RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O' THAT — AN' THAT —"

"Oh no…" Ellen whimpered. Hagrid swept at two of the attackers. knocking them out cold with a single hit. She watched as he reached down and draped Fang's limp body over his shoulders that were shaking with emotion.

"Get him, get him!" screamed Umbridge.

Hagrid turned and began to flee with the dog still draped across his shoulders. Umbridge attempted to Stun him one last time before he disappeared into the darkness towards the gates.

When the exam finally ended they all forced their telescopes haphazardly back into their holders and dashed back down the spiral staircase. None of the students were going to bed — they were all talking loudly and excitedly at the foot of the stairs about what they had witnessed.

"That evil woman!" gasped Hermione, who seemed to be having difficulty talking due to rage. "Trying to sneak up on Hagrid in the dead of night!"

"She's going to pay for what she's done." Ellen vowed. "What they did to McGonagall was cowardly.."

Once they got back to the common room they were surprised to find it completely full. The commotion outside had woke up several people and they had gotten their friends up in return. The other students who had gotten to the tower before the four of them were in the process of telling everyone what they had seen and heard during their exam.

"But why sack Hagrid now?" asked Angelina Johnson, shaking her head. "It's not like Trelawney, he's been doing much better than usual this year!"

"Umbridge hates anything that isn't completely wizard." Ellen laughed bitterly. "It doesn't matter that he was just an assistant, she would have found any excuse to get rid of him."

"And she thought Hagrid was putting nifflers in her office," piped up Katie Bell.

"Oh blimey," said Lee Jordan, covering his mouth. "It's me's been putting the nifflers in her office, Fred and George left me a couple, I've been levitating them in through her window..."

"She'd have sacked him anyway," said Dean. "He was too close to Dumbledore."

It was nearly four in the morning before the common room cleared. Ellen could barely sleep by the time she got up to her dormitory, too filled with rage to even relax She finally ended falling asleep an hour later, through her dreams were filled with spells and a sense of fear.

Their final exam, History of Magic, was not to take place until that afternoon. The fifth years entered the Great Hall at two o'clock and took their places in front of their overturned examination papers. The test was dull and Ellen nearly found herself falling asleep when Harry hit the ground yelling. The Great Hall erupted all around him.

" 'm not going...I don't need the hospital wing...I don't want..." He was gibbering, trying to pull away from Professor Tofty, who was looking at him with much concern, and who had just helped Harry out into the entrance hall while the students all around them stared.

"I'm — I'm fine, sir," Harry stammered, wiping the sweat from his face. "Really...I just fell asleep...Had a nightmare..."

"Pressure of examinations!" said the old wizard sympathetically, patting Harry shakily on the shoulder. "It happens, young man, it happens! Now, a cooling drink of water, and perhaps you will be ready to return to the Great Hall? The examination is nearly over, but you may be able to round off your last answer nicely?"

"Yes," said Harry wildly. "I mean...no...I've done — done as much as I can, I think..."

"Very well, very well," said the old wizard gently. "I shall go and collect your examination paper, and I suggest that you go and have a nice lie down..."

"I'll do that," said Harry, nodding vigorously. "Thanks very much."

Harry all but sprinted out of the exam and there was nothing that Ellen could do to stop him. She didn't fill out another question on the exam, and the moment it was over she, Ron, and Hermione went out looking for him. It was their luck that he came sprinting down the corridor moments later.

"Harry!" said Hermione at once, looking very frightened. "What happened? Are you all right? Are you ill?"

"Where have you been?" demanded Ron.

"Come with me," Harry said quickly. "Come on, I've got to tell you something..." He led them along the first-floor corridor, peering through doorways, and at last found an empty classroom into which he dived, closing the door behind them the moment they were inside and leaning against it, facing them. "Voldemort's got Sirius."

"What?" Ellen shrieked, panic filling her. "How do you know?"

"Saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam."

"But — but where? How?" said Hermione, whose face was white.

"I dunno how," said Harry. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven...He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there...He's torturing him...Says he'll end by killing him..."

"How're we going to get there?" he asked them. Ellen felt herself disconnect from her body. Pure horror was flooding every sense that she had and she could barely hear what they were saying over the rushing in her ears. She listened numbly as they argued back and forth about the entire thing. Hermione was insistent that they not go but Harry was trying to rush straight to the Ministry. There was a flurry flurry of movement in the back of her mind, the rustling of chains echoing about. Neah was stirring and she didn't have enough strength to stop him.

Ellen continued to stare at the ground until Hermione touched her arm lightly. She looked around, noting that Ginny, Luna, and Neville had appeared at one point in the conversation.

"Ellen?" Hermione asked softly. "Are you okay?"

"If they hurt a single hair on Sirius's head, I'll kill them."

Before they could respond to the promise she made, Harry came tearing down the corridor. "Got it," he panted. "Ready to go, then?"

"All right," whispered Hermione as a gang of loud sixth years passed them. "So Ron — you go and head Umbridge off...Ginny, Luna, if you can start moving people out of the corridor…Harry, Ellen, and I will get the cloak on and wait until the coast is clear..."

Ron strode away, his bright red hair visible right to the end of the passage. Meanwhile, Ginny's equally vivid head bobbed between the jostling students surrounding them in the other direction, trailed by Luna's blonde one.

"Get over here," muttered Hermione, tugging at Harry's wrist and pulling him back. "Are — are you sure you're okay, Harry? You're still very pale..."

"I'm fine," he said shortly, tugging the Invisibility Cloak from out of his bag.

"Here," he said. He threw the Invisibility Cloak over both of them and they stood listening carefully over the Latin mumblings of the bust in front of them.

"You can't come down here!" Ginny was calling to the crowd. "No, sorry, you're going to have to go round by the swiveling staircase, someone's let off Garroting Gas just along here —" They could hear people complaining; one surly voice said, "I can't see no gas..."

"That's because it's colorless," said Ginny in a convincingly exasperated voice, "but if you want to walk through it, carry on, then we'll have your body as proof for the next idiot who didn't believe us..."

Slowly the crowd thinned. The news about the Garroting Gas seemed to have spread — people were not coming this way anymore. When at last the surrounding area was quite clear, Hermione said quietly, "I think that's as good as we're going to get, Harry — come on, let's do it."

Together they moved forward, covered by the cloak. Luna was standing with her back to them at the far end of the corridor. As they passed Ginny, Hermione whispered, "Good one...don't forget the signal..."

"What's the signal?" muttered Harry, as they approached Umbridge's door. "A loud chorus of 'Weasley Is Our King' if they see Umbridge coming," replied Hermione, as Harry inserted the blade of Sirius's knife in the crack between door and wall.

The lock clicked open, and they entered the office. The garish kittens were basking in the late afternoon sunshine warming their plates, but otherwise the office was as still and empty as last time. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought she might have added extra security after the second niffler..."

They pulled off the cloak. Hermione hurried over to the window and stood out of sight, peering down into the grounds with her wand out. Ellen stood behind the door with her wand raised, ready to hex anyone who came in. Harry dashed over to the fireplace, seized the pot of Floo powder, and threw a pinch into the grate, causing emerald flames to burst into life there. He knelt down quickly, thrust his head into the dancing fire, and cried, "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place!"

* * *

 _Você precisava chorar, meu amor_ = You deserve to cry, my love

* * *

 **Sorry, this is a filler chapter but next chapter is 10,000 words and then it's the final chapter! We're almost done!**


	16. Chapter 16

Time moved slowly and they began to relax until the door burst open, someone's arm accidentally knocking Ellen's wand out of her hand. It went clattering across the floor where Professor Umbridge picked it up and handed it off to a member of the Inquisitorial Squad, one of which immediately restrained Ellen.

Umbridge leaned down and dragged Harry backwards by the hair and was now bending his neck back as far as it would go as though she was going to slit his throat.

"You think," she whispered, bending Harry's neck back even farther, "that after two nifflers I was going to let one more foul, scavenging little creature enter my office without my knowledge? I had Stealth Sensoring Spells placed all around my doorway after the last one got in, you foolish boy. Take his wand," she barked at one of the Slytherins.

"Hers too..." Ellen looked over to see Rhode snatch Hermione's wand away, a cruel smirk playing on the other Noah's lips.

"I want to know why you are in my office," said Umbridge, shaking the fist clutching his hair so that he staggered.

"I was — trying to get my Firebolt!" Harry croaked.

"Liar." She shook his head again. "Your Firebolt is under strict guard in the dungeons, as you very well know, Potter. You had your head in my fire. With whom have you been communicating?"

"No one —" said Harry, trying to pull away from her.

"Liar!" shouted Umbridge. She threw him from her, and he slammed into the desk. There was a commotion outside and several large Slytherins entered, each gripping Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville, who was trapped in a stranglehold by Crabbe and looked in imminent danger of suffocation. All four of them had been gagged.

"Got 'em all," said Warrington, shoving Ron roughly forward into the room. "That one." he poked a thick finger at Neville, "tried to stop me taking her," he pointed at Ginny, who was trying to kick the shins of the large Slytherin girl holding her, "so I brought him along too."

"Good, good," said Umbridge, watching Ginny's struggles. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?"

Malfoy laughed loudly and sycophantically. Umbridge gave her wide, complacent smile and settled herself into a chintz-covered armchair, blinking up at her captives like a toad in a flowerbed. "So, Potter," she said. "You stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon," she nodded at Ron, and Malfoy laughed even louder, "to tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes, Mr. Filch having just informed me so. Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone..."

Malfoy and a few of the other members of the Inquisitorial Squad laughed some more at that. Ellen felt disgust fill her while Rhode seemed to agree with all of them, laughing at her aunt like it was the funniest thing she had seen all day.

"It's none of your business who I talk to," he snarled.

Umbridge's slack face seemed to tighten. "Very well," she said in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice. "Very well, Mr. Potter...I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco — fetch Professor Snape."

Malfoy stowed Harry's wand inside his robes and left the room smirking. There was silence in the office except for the fidgetings and scufflings resultant from the Slytherins' efforts to keep Ron and the others under control. Ron's lip was bleeding onto Umbridge's carpet as he struggled against his captor. Ginny was still trying to stamp on the feet of the sixth-year girl who had both her upper arms in a tight grip. Neville was turning steadily more purple in the face while tugging at Crabbe's arms, and Hermione was attempting vainly to pull her arm out of the grip Rhode had on her. Luna, however, stood limply by the side of her captor, gazing vaguely out of the window as though rather bored by the proceedings.

Harry's face was deliberately smooth and blank as footsteps were heard in the corridor outside and Draco Malfoy came back into the room, holding open the door for Snape.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" said Snape, looking around at all the pairs of struggling students with an expression of complete indifference.

"Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, smiling widely and standing up again. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said, observing her coolly through his greasy curtains of black hair. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

Umbridge flushed. "You can make some more, can't you?" she said, her voice becoming more sweetly girlish as it always did when she was furious.

"Certainly," said Snape, his lip curling. "It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A month?" squawked Umbridge, swelling toadishly. "A month? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really?" said Snape, showing his first, faint sign of interest as he looked around at Harry. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules."

"I wish to interrogate him!" shouted Umbridge angrily, and Snape looked away from Harry back into her furiously quivering face. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you," said Snape smoothly, "that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter — and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did — I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling..."

"You are on probation!" shrieked Professor Umbridge, and Snape looked back at her, his eyebrows slightly raised. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"

Snape gave her an ironic bow and turned to leave. "He's got Padfoot!" Harry shouted to stop the man from leaving. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

Snape had stopped with his hand on Umbridge's door handle.

"Padfoot?" cried Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

Snape looked around at Harry. His face was inscrutable. "I have no idea," said Snape coldly. "Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little, if Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job."

He closed the door behind him with a snap. "Very well," Umbridge said, and she pulled out her wand. "Very well...I am left with no alternative...This is more than a matter of school discipline...This is an issue of Ministry security...Yes...yes..."

She seemed to be talking herself into something. She was shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot, staring at Harry, beating her wand against her empty palm and breathing heavily. "You are forcing me, Potter...I do not want to," said Umbridge, still moving restlessly on the spot, "but sometimes circumstances justify the use...I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice..."

Malfoy was watching her with a hungry expression on his face. "The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue," said Umbridge quietly.

"Touch him and I will kill you, you rotten bint!" Ellen shouted, struggling harder in the large girl's hold. "I'll tear you limb from limb, you will not hurt my godson!"

"And how will you do that?" Umbridge breathed out cruelly. "You're nothing but a filthy beast, too busy whoring yourself around to good, noble men to learn any real magic."

"What?" Ellen's voice broke. "What are you talking about?"

"I've seen how you seduced Professor Mikk. What was it, a love potion or did you have to use the Imperius?" Umbridge all but snarled, her face twisted.

Ellen began struggling anew, doing her best to break away without having to resort to killing the girl holding her. "You leave Tyki out of this, you bitch."

"So you admit it?" Umbridge giggled. "You'll be next then, how wonderful."

"Professor Umbridge — it's illegal" Hermione shrieked, but Umbridge took no notice. There was a nasty, eager, excited look on her face that Harry had never seen before. She raised her wand.

"The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!" cried Hermione.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," said Umbridge, who was now panting slightly as she pointed her wand at different parts of Harry's body in turn, apparently trying to decide what would hurt the most. "He never knew I ordered dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same..."

"It was you?" gasped Harry. "You sent the dementors after me?"

"Somebody had to act," breathed Umbridge, as her wand came to rest pointing directly at Harry's forehead. "They were all bleating about silencing you somehow — discrediting you — but I was the one who actually did something about it...Only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? Not today, though, not now..." And taking a deep breath, she cried, "Cruc —"

"NO!" shouted Hermione in a cracked voice from behind Rhode. "No, Harry, we'll have to tell her!"

"No way!" yelled Harry.

"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's...what's the point...?" And Hermione began to cry weakly against Rhode, who looked up at her with the oddest expression.

"Well, well, well!" said Umbridge, looking triumphant. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"

"Er — my — nee — no!" shouted Ron through his gag. Ginny was staring at Hermione as though she had never seen her before; Neville, still choking for breath, was gazing at her too. But Harry had just noticed something. Though Hermione was sobbing desperately into her hands, there was no trace of a tear..."I'm — I'm sorry everyone," said Hermione. "But — I can't stand it —"

"That's right, that's right, girl!" said Umbridge, seizing Hermione by the shoulders, thrusting her into the abandoned chintz chair and leaning over her. "Now then...with whom was Potter communicating just now?"

"Well," gulped Hermione into her hands, "well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore…"

"Dumbledore?" said Umbridge eagerly, not noticing how the rest of them froze. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"

"Well...no!" sobbed Hermione. "We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head —"

"Idiot girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!" shouted Umbridge, disappointment etched in every sagging line of her face.

"But — but we needed to tell him something important!" wailed Hermione, holding her hands more tightly over her face, not out of anguish, but to disguise the continued absence of tears.

"Yes?" said Umbridge with a sudden resurgence of excitement. "What was it you wanted to tell him?"

"We...we wanted to tell him it's r-ready!" choked Hermione.

"What's ready?" demanded Umbridge, and now she grabbed Hermione's shoulders again and shook her slightly. "What's ready, girl?"

"The...the weapon," said Hermione.

"Weapon? Weapon?" said Umbridge, and her eyes seemed to pop with excitement. "You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"

"Y-y-yes," gasped Hermione. "But he had to leave before it was finished and n-n-now we've finished it for him, and we c-c-can't find him t-t-to tell him!"

"What kind of weapon is it?" said Umbridge harshly, her stubby hands still tight on Hermione's shoulders.

"We don't r-r-really understand it," said Hermione, sniffing loudly. "We j-j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do..."

Umbridge straightened up, looking exultant. "Lead me to the weapon," she said.

"I'm not showing...them," said Hermione shrilly, looking around at the Slytherins through her fingers.

"It is not for you to set conditions," said Professor Umbridge harshly.

"Fine," said Hermione, now sobbing into her hands again, "fine...let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th-that would serve you right — oh, I'd love it if the wh-whole school knew where it was, and how to u-use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll be able to s-sort you out!"

These words had a powerful impact on Umbridge. She glanced swiftly and suspiciously around at her Inquisitorial Squad, her bulging eyes resting for a moment on Malfoy, who was too slow to disguise the look of eagerness and greed that had appeared on his face. Umbridge contemplated Hermione for another long moment and then spoke in what she clearly thought was a motherly voice. "All right, dear, let's make it just you and me...and we'll take Potter too, shall we? Get up, now —"

"Professor," said Malfoy eagerly, "Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after —"

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" asked Umbridge sharply. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these" — she gestured around at Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna — "escape."

"All right," said Malfoy, looking sulky and disappointed. "And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way," said Umbridge, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand. "Lead on..."

The door shut behind them, leaving Ellen and the others alone with the Inquisitorial Squad. Rhode leaned over and picked up Ellen's wand, rolling it between her fingers.

"Put that down, Campbell!" Malfoy snarled at her. "You're lucky to even be here. If it weren't for my father —"

"Shut up." Rhode said calmly, looking up at him with glowing yellow eyes. "You really are an idiot, aren't you _Draco_?"

The tiny girl snapped and a swarm of familiar pointed candles appeared behind her. She flicked her hand and they flew at the members of the Inquisitorial Squad, stopping just before their faces. "Now let them go or I'll put these through your eyes."

The other Slytherins immediately let go of their hostages, handing them their wands back without a single complaint. Rhode kept smiling up at Malfoy cruelly. "You see, it was really too easy. Lucius Malfoy is terribly simple, very easy to manipulate. All it took was a few favors and some pretty words and little Rebecca Campbell was the newest member of the Inquisitorial Squad by his very own recommendation!"

A candle pressed closer to his cheek, drawing a small dot of blood. "You've targeted my family, Draco. Sweet little Ellen here is my _favorite_ aunt and you wanted to hurt her. What was it you called her again? Oh yes, _a filthy beast_."

"Well, Draco," Rhode purred, her yellow eyes piercing into his. "It's too bad for you that I'm a filthy beast too."

Her skin bled into a dead grey color, her hair returning to the spiky navy that Ellen knew so well. Rhode giggled maniacally and flicked her hand. One of the candles behind her flew into Malfoy's right shoulder, pinning him into the stone wall. Blood poured from the wound and he cried out in pain.

She looked over at the other Inquisitorial Squad members. "You are going to let us walk out of here and you will not follow, or the next one goes into his heart."

Rhode marched out of the room, looking back with a raised brow until the others jumped up and followed her. Ellen immediately wrapped the girl in a hug, tears in her eyes. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" She scolded her niece.

"I needed you to think I betrayed you Allen." Rhode shrugged. "You're a terrible actor, it had to be real. Now you all go find Potter and Granger. I'm going to go Obliviate that lot, then fetch Tyki and the rest of the Order."

Ellen nodded at her and the group took off running. Neville was still slightly pale and he kept looking over at Ellen with a scared impression. They ran up to the two who were at the edge of the forest looking rather shook up.

"Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?" They heard Hermione ask.

"Yeah, we were just wondering that," Ron asked. They grinned when they took in the sigh of their unharmed friends, though a few looked rather disturbed.

"So," said Ron, pushing aside a low-hanging branch and holding out Harry's wand, "had any ideas?"

"How did you get away?" asked Harry in amazement, taking his wand from Ron.

"Rhode might have stabbed Malfoy with a candle.." Ellen trailed off, cringing at the look she got from Hermione. "She's bloody insane, but that's how she works. What've you done with Umbridge?"

"She got carried away," said Harry. "By a herd of centaurs."

"And they left you behind?" asked Ginny, looking astonished.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp," said Harry.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked interestedly.

"Hagrid's little brother," said Ron promptly. "Anyway, never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-Know-Who got Sirius or — ?"

"Yes," said Harry, "and I'm sure Sirius is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."

He, Ron, and Hermione all turned to Ellen with expectant looks on their faces. Her eyes widened when she realized what they wanted. "Harry, it's been over a hundred years since I've been to the Ministry. What if they've changed location or they've got new charms. It could hurt you if something goes wrong."

"Ellen, there's no other way." Ron said grimly. "You've got to trust us."

She breathed out shakily and turned to the other three. "What you're all about to see must remain a secret. The last thing I want is for a bunch of humans trying to take it again."

Two of them nodded while Luna just stared dreamily in return. Ellen rolled her shoulders back and steeled herself quickly. She could do this. All she had to do was open a gate. Try as she might, she could not seem to break into the Ark at all. It was like there was something blocking her...

"It won't open!" She whispered. "Why won't it open?"

 _Stop denying yourself, Allen and the Ark will accept you again..._ Neah's voice echoed softly through her mind. _No more masks, you are not the Crowned Clown anymore.. You are the Musician!_

Her eyes snapped open, glowing yellow in the darkness. All the charms she had layered over her person crumbled, showing her true face for the first time in over a century. She could hear Hermione gasp in shock as the skin of a Noah bled across her, dying her a dark grey color. A sense of peace settled over Ellen, her lips twisting into a smile.

 _Good... Call upon the Ark, Allen, and it will answer..._

Ellen laid her hands out in front of her, her palms facing the sky. Bright golden figures rose up, surrounding the group and illuminating the darkness. The others watched in wonder as the figures danced about them while Ellen reached deep within herself. The sounds of a piano playing filled the air, growing by the second. She took a deep and opened her mouth, finally allowing the words to flow out of her mouth in the way that they were intended to.

 _And so I watch my sweet boy fall fast asleep  
Like the embers dying slowly in the fire  
One by one, as my mind tires.  
_

 _I see the faces of all those who sleep in this dark night  
Their dreams come forth and spill across the endless sky  
Then down to Earth  
Where dreamers lie._

 _Like stars your silver eyes glisten as we watch them  
Bright as the sun, you shine so bright my perfect gem  
And we watch as our prayers find their way to God_

 _Soon they could return to us, or it may take millions of years  
_

 _But that won't keep me from praying to Him  
Or pleading for my child's soul  
And I swear to shower him with my love  
And I'll kiss his hand when it's in mine_

An Ark gate rose from the ground, shining brighter than she had ever seen before. The doors opened all on their own and she took the hesitant first step into the Ark. It led to the atrium she had first spoken to Harry to all those months ago. Somehow, the Ark seemed more at peace than it had since the day she had claimed it. No longer did the ground seem to sway or the figures seem worn. The whole town was a glowing white, flowers blooming in every windowsill.

She heard the others make their way through the gate, the ones who had never entered gasping in wonder. The spell was broken when she heard Hermione shriek. Ellen whipped around to see the girl pale and pointing across the room. She turned her head slowly, her heart dropping when she realized who was standing there.

Neah.

Ellen leapt in front of the children, her arm raised and crackling with Dark Matter. "How are you here, Neah?" She hissed.

He laughed and shook his head. "We both know I'm not really here, Allen."

The man slowly began to walk over to them, stopping when he was standing in front of Ellen. He reached out to brush his hand over her cheek and frowned when she flinched away. "Don't you dare touch me." Ellen stepped back. "You don't have that right. Now tell me how you're doing this."

Neah rolled his eyes the same way Ellen always did and stepped away. "Before that unfortunate incident with the Clan happened, I saved parts of my memory to the Ark. What you see now is nothing more than a ghost. We only have a few minutes, do you really want to waste them Allen?"

"Stop calling me that!" She snarled at him. "What do you want?"

"What I _want_ , is for you to quit bringing that _thing_ inside of our Ark." Neah murmured, pointing at Harry. "It isn't natural."

"He's just a boy, what are you talking about?"

The Noah continued looking at Harry in disgust. He jerked his hand and the Ark all but dragged Harry over to them, burying his feet in the ground so that the boy could not move. The others went to chase after them before their feet were trapped too, their wands flying to where they could not reach them. Neah grabbed Ellen by the chin and forced her to look at Harry. "Use that disgusting little eye of yours for once. Tell me what you see Allen."

She tried to away but Neah's grip on her chin only tightened. "Fine. But he's just a child, nothing more."

Ellen closed her eyes and called on the power of her cursed eye, feeling it activate for the first time since the akuma were all destroyed. She slowly looked up at Harry, gasping at what she saw. Harry was surrounded by some kind of monster. It was pale and slimy with bright red eyes, sprouting out of where Harry's scar was; the creature was completely wrapped around Harry's body yet the boy did not notice a thing.

"Neah.. What is that thing.." She whispered, staring in horror at the creature.

He hissed under his breath. "It's an abomination."

"Harry." Ellen called out to him. "Come here, I promise nothing's going to happen."

The Ark released his feet and he slowly made his way to Ellen. She reached out with both her hands and grasped his face. "Harry, love, I need you to trust me right now."

"Ellen, no." Harry tried to step away. "Can't you see that he's manipulating you?"

"Don't be scared, I can fix this." She promised. "Just trust me."

"Harry, don't!" Hermione yelled out from behind him. Neah scowled and snapped in her direction, silencing the poor girl.

He turned back to Ellen with a smile. "You have to do it now, Allen. The Sword of Exorcism is still yours, you can call upon it."

Her hand moved of its own accord, a familiar white sword forming in her grip. Bright yellow eyes stared at Harry, a hint of madness playing at the edges. She stroked his cheek softly, smiling at him. "Crown Clown only harms that which is evil."

With a quick motion she had the sword gripped in both hands high above their heads. She looked over at Neah who nodded at her. Ellen took a deep breath and looked at Harry and the others, all of them looking absolutely horrified. She smiled grimly at them before steeling herself and swinging down on Harry with all her might.

Screams filled the air as the sword passed through Harry harmlessly. The boy himself was perfectly fine for a moment before he fell to his knees, gripping his now bleeding forehead. Ellen watched the odd creature scream and writhe in its place on Harry, bright white light spilling out from it. Harry screamed loudly in pain just before the creature burst into ash, floating away in the wind.

Ellen dropped to her knees and pulled the boy close to her. "It's alright, it can't hurt you anymore.. Shh.."

He looked up at her, tears still on his face. "What did you do?"

"I removed whatever what living in your scar. It will never hurt you again, my dear."

She waved her hand and released the others, turning back to Neah. His image was starting to flicker. "Good night, Allen."

"Good morning, Neah." She pressed her lips together as he finally disappeared. The others came rushing up to them once he was gone, surrounding them. Ellen looked up to see five different wands pointed at her. She slowly let go of Harry and stood, holding her hands out in front of her in a soothing motion. "It wasn't going to hurt him, I promise."

"What did you do?" Ron demanded, pointing his wand angrily. "He's covered in blood, how can you say it didn't hurt him?"

"It was trying to consume him! You didn't see it Ron, that thing was just wrong." She shuddered. "I've never seen anything like it."

"And you thought that pulling out a sword was the best idea?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

Ellen shook her head. "That was the Sword of Exorcism, Hermione. It cannot cut a human, only that which it considers evil. How does your head feel, Harry?"

"It's...quiet," Harry looked confused. "Why does it feel quiet?"

"We can discuss that later." She smiled at him. "But for now we have to rescue Sirius. Ark, open a gate to the Ministry of Magic."

A gate rose from the ground on its own, glowing bright white. Ellen walked up and pushed it open, stepping out. It was all quiet for a moment before she poked her head back in and motioned for them to follow her out. They stepped out into the Atrium, the only sound was the steady rush of water from the golden fountain, where jets from the wands of the witch and wizard, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat, and the house-elf's ears continued to gush into the surrounding pool.

"Come on," said Harry once he collected himself, leading them to a lift. The cool female voice inside of the lift said, "Department of Mysteries," and the grilles slid open again, they stepped out into the corridor where nothing was moving but the nearest torches, flickering in the rush of air from the lift.

"Let's go," Harry whispered, and he led the way down the corridor, Luna right behind him, gazing around with her mouth slightly open.

"Okay, listen," said Harry, stopping in front of the door to wipe some of the blood out of his eyes. "Maybe...maybe a couple of people should stay here as a — as a lookout, and —"

"And how're we going to let you know something's coming?" asked Ginny, her eyebrows raised. "You could be miles away."

"We're coming with you, Harry," said Neville.

"Let's get on with it," said Ron firmly. Harry turned to face the door and walked forward. They were standing in a large, circular room. Everything in here was black including the floor and ceiling — identical, unmarked, handle-less black doors were set at intervals all around the black walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue, their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor so that it looked as though there was dark water underfoot.

"Someone shut the door," Harry muttered. Without the long chink of light from the torch-lit corridor behind them, the place became so dark that for a moment the only things they could see were the bunches of shivering blue flames on the walls and their ghostly reflections in the floor below.

There was a great rumbling noise and the candles began to move sideways. The circular wall was rotating. For a few seconds the blue flames around them were blurred to resemble neon lines as the wall sped around and then, quite as suddenly as it had started, the rumbling stopped and everything became stationary once again.

"What was that about?" whispered Ron fearfully.

"I think it was to stop us knowing which door we came in from," said Ginny in a hushed voice.

"How're we going to get back out?" said Neville uncomfortably.

"Well, that doesn't matter now," said Harry forcefully. "We won't need to get out till we've found Sirius —"

"Don't go calling for him, though!" Hermione said urgently.

"Where do we go, then, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I don't —" Harry began. He swallowed. "In the dreams I went through the door at the end of the corridor from the lifts into a dark room — that's this one — and then I went through another door into a room that kind of...glitters. We should try a few doors," he said hastily. "I'll know the right way when I see it. C'mon."

But the room that he led them into was not the correct one. Instead of the aisles that Harry had described to all of them, there are tanks filled with what looked like floating brains. They all rushe out of the room quickly, Hermione marking the door with a flaming 'X'.

Again he strode directly at the door facing him and pushed it open, his wand still raised, the others at his heels. "This is it!"

Ellen was entranced by the beautiful, dancing, diamond-sparkling light. She saw clocks gleaming from every surface, large and small, grandfather and carriage, hanging in spaces between the bookcases or standing on desks ranging the length of the room, so that a busy, relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of minuscule, marching footsteps. The source of the dancing, diamond-bright light was a towering crystal bell jar that stood at the far end of the room.

"This way!" Harry led the way forward down the narrow space between the lines of the desks heading for the source of the light, the crystal bell jar quite as tall as he was that stood on a desk and appeared to be full of a billowing, glittering wind.

They had their wands out and looked suddenly serious and anxious as they approached the door. Harry looked back at the door and pushed. It swung open. They were there, they had found the place: high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs.

They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, their flames were burning blue. The room was very cold.

"You said it was row ninety-seven," whispered Hermione.

"Keep your wands out," Ellen said softly. They all crept forward, looking up at the numbered rows to try to find the correct one.

"Ninety-seven!" whispered Hermione. They stood grouped around the end of the row, gazing down the alley beside it. There was nobody there.

"He's right down at the end," said Harry, "You can't see properly from here..."

And he led them forward, between the towering rows of glass balls, some of which glowed softly as they passed..."He should be near here," whispered Harry "Anywhere here...really close..."

"Harry?" said Hermione tentatively.

"Somewhere about...here..." he said. They had reached the end of the row and emerged into more dim candlelight. There was nobody there at all. All was echoing, dusty silence.

"He might be..." Harry whispered hoarsely, peering down the alley next door. "Or maybe..." He hurried to look down the one beyond that.

"Harry?" said Hermione again.

"What?" he snarled.

"I...I don't think Sirius is here." Nobody spoke. Ellen clenched her fists tightly. All that worry and Sirius wasn't even around.

"Harry?" Ron called.

"What?"

"Have you seen this?" said Ron.

"What?" said Harry, but eagerly this time. He strode back to where they were all standing, a little way down row ninety-seven, but found nothing except Ron staring at one of the dusty glass spheres on the shelves.

"What?" Harry repeated glumly.

"It's — it's got your name on," said Ron.

"My name?" said Harry blankly.

In spidery writing was written a date of some sixteen years previously, and below that: S. P. T. to A. P. W. B. D. Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter

"Harry," Ellen said in horror. "That's a prophecy. We need to leave now."

"Very good. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

* * *

"To me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up. They were trapped and outnumbered two to one. "To me," said Malfoy yet again.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry said. Several of the Death Eaters laughed. A harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"Always," echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I want to know where Sirius is!"

"I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the woman to his left. She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Harry and the others, the light from their wands dazzling.

"You've got him," said Harry. "He's here. I know he is."

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," said the woman in a horrible, mock-baby voice. Ellen could almost feel the dark matter crackling in her hand once she realized who was speaking.

"Bellatrix.." Ellen snarled, "Why don't you come out where I can see you?"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

Ellen snarled in Lucius's direction. "He's not giving you anything, Malfoy. I'll destroy it before I let any of you have it."

The words were hardly out of her mouth when Bellatrix shrieked, "Accio Proph —"

But Ellen was actually prepared for Bellatrix this time around. She snatched the prophecy out of the air as it went flying out of Harry's hand and pressed her wand to it. "C'mon Bellatrix, that's the oldest trick in the book. Now, won't you tell us what you want with it before I have to destroy it."

Bellatrix did not move; she merely stared at them, the tip of her tongue moistening her thin mouth. "So," said Harry, "what kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?"

"What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix, the grin fading from her face. "You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting," said Harry. "How come Voldemort wants it?"

"You dare speak his name?" whispered Bellatrix.

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol —"

"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare —"

"Did you know he's a half-blood too?" said Harry recklessly. "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle — or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?"

"STUPEF —"

"NO!" A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, but Malfoy had deflected it. His spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered. Two figures, pearly white as ghosts, fluid as smoke, unfurled themselves from the fragments of broken glass upon the floor and each began to speak.

Their voices vied with each other, so that only fragments of what they were saying could be heard over Malfoy and Bellatrix's shouts. "...at the Solstice will come a new..." said the figure of an old, bearded man.

"DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!"

"He dared — he dares —" shrieked Bellatrix incoherently. "— He stands there — filthy half-blood —"

"WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" bawled Malfoy.

"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," he said, playing for time. He moved his foot slowly sideways, feeling around for someone else's.

"Do not play games with us, Potter," said Malfoy.

"I'm not playing games," said Harry. And then he found someone's toes and pressed down upon them. A sharp intake of breath beside Ellen told her they were Hermione's. "What?" she whispered.

"Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" said Malfoy sneeringly.

"I — what?" said Harry. "What about my scar?"

"What?" whispered Hermione more urgently behind him.

"Can this be?" said Malfoy, sounding maliciously delighted; some of the Death Eaters were laughing again, and under cover of their laughter, Harry hissed to Hermione, moving his lips as little as possible, "Smash shelves —"

"Dumbledore never told you?" Malfoy repeated. "Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter, the Dark Lord wondered why —"

"— when I say go —"

"— you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording..."

"Did he?" said Harry. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"

"Why?" Malfoy sounded incredulously delighted. "Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it for him."

"And why did he want to steal a prophecy about me?"

"About both of you, Potter, about both of you...Haven't you ever wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?" Harry stared into the slitted eyeholes through which Malfoy's gray eyes were gleaming.

"Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me?" he said quietly, gazing at Lucius Malfoy, his fingers tightening over the warm glass sphere in his hand. "And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"

"Get it himself?" shrieked Bellatrix on a cackle of mad laughter. "The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, when they are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors, when at the moment they are wasting their time on my dear cousin?"

"So he's got you doing his dirty work for him, has he?" said Harry. "Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it — and Bode?"

"Very good, Potter, very good..." said Malfoy slowly. "But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell —"

"NOW!" yelled Harry.

Five different voices behind him bellowed " _REDUCTO_!" while Ellen whispered _"Tabescento"_ under her breath.

Five curses flew in five different directions and the shelves opposite them exploded as they hit. The towering structure swayed as a hundred glass spheres burst apart. The floor beneath the Death Eaters looked as if it was melting away, sucking one man in up to his knees while he screamed.

"RUN!" Harry yelled, and as the shelves swayed precariously and more glass spheres began to pour from above. They all took off sprinting, hoping that what they had done was enough of a lead to get to safety.

"Colloportus!" gasped Hermione once they reached the door, sealing it behind them with a loud squelch.

* * *

"Where — where are the others?" gasped Harry. Ellen looked around in a panic noting that Ron, Luna, and Ginny were nowhere to be seen.

"They must have gone the wrong way!" whispered Hermione, terror in her face.

"Listen!" whispered Neville. Footsteps and shouts echoed from behind the door they had just sealed.

"What do we do?" Hermione asked Harry, trembling from head to foot.

"Well, we don't stand here waiting for them to find us, for a start," said Harry. "Let's get away from this door..."

They ran, quietly as they could toward the exit into the circular hallway at the far end of the room. They were almost there when Ellen heard something large and heavy collide with the door Hermione had charmed shut.

"Stand aside!" said a rough voice. " _Alohomora_!"

As the door flew open, Harry, Hermione, Ellen, and Neville dived under desks. They could see the bottom of the two Death Eaters' robes drawing nearer, their feet moving rapidly. "They might've run straight through to the hall," said the rough voice.

"Check under the desks," said another.

Ellen watched Harry poke his wand out from under the desk he shouted, " _STUPEFY_!"

A jet of red light hit the nearest Death Eater; he fell backward into a grandfather clock and knocked it over. He went to get up before having to quickly roll out of the way of Ellen's spell. The second Death Eater, however, had leapt aside to avoid Harry's spell and now pointed his own wand at Hermione, who had crawled out from under the desk to get a better aim.

" _Avada_ —" Harry launched himself across the floor and grabbed the Death Eater around the knees, causing him to topple and his aim to go awry.

Neville overturned his desk in his anxiety to help; pointing his wand wildly at the struggling pair he cried, " _EXPELLIARMUS_ !"

Both Harry's and the Death Eater's wands flew out of their hands and soared back toward the entrance to the Hall of Prophecy; both scrambled to their feet and charged after them, the Death Eater in front and Harry hot on his heels, Neville bringing up the rear, plainly horrorstruck at what he had done.

"Get out of the way, Harry!" yelled Neville, clearly determined to repair the damage. Harry flung himself sideways as Neville took aim again and shouted, " _STUPEFY_!"

The jet of red light flew right over the Death Eater's shoulder and hit a glass-fronted cabinet on the wall full of variously shaped hourglasses. The Death Eater had snatched up his wand, which lay on the floor beside the glittering bell jar.

Harry ducked down behind another desk as the man turned — his mask had slipped so that he could not see, he ripped it off with his free hand and shouted, " _STUP_ —"

" _ÎNGHEŢA!_ " Ellen screamed, flicking her wand at the man. A brilliant blue light went flying, hitting the man straight in the chest. The other watched in horror as the the light seemed to spread from where it hit, covering the Death Eater completely. He gave a muffled groan before he fell off balance, his body shattering into thousands of small blue gems as he hit the floor. "I told you not to touch my godson." She snarled, kicking one of the gems away.

There was a shout from a room nearby, then a crash and a scream. "RON?" Harry yelled, turning quickly from the sight before them.. "GINNY? LUNA?"

"Harry!" Hermione screamed.

"Come on!" he said again, and leaving the shattered Death Eater behind them, they took off for the door, leading back into the black hallway. They had run halfway toward it when Harry saw through the open door two more Death Eaters running across the black room toward them. Veering left he burst instead into a small, dark, cluttered office and slammed the door behind them.

" _Collo_ —" began Hermione, but before she could complete the spell the door had burst open again and the two Death Eaters had come hurtling inside. With a cry of triumph, both yelled, " _IMPEDIMENTA_!"

Harry, Ellen. Hermione, and Neville were all knocked backward off their feet. Neville was thrown over the desk and disappeared from view, Hermione smashed into a bookcase and was promptly deluged in a cascade of heavy books; the back of Harry's head slammed into the stone wall behind him and Ellen felt herself hit a desk hard enough to break it.

"WE'VE GOT HIM!" yelled the Death Eater nearest Harry, "IN AN OFFICE OFF —"

" _Silencio_!" cried Hermione, and the man's voice was extinguished. He continued to mouth through the hole in his mask, but no sound came out; he was thrust aside by his fellow.

" _Petrificus Totalus_!" shouted Harry, as the second Death Eater raised his wand. His arms and legs snapped together and he fell forward, facedown onto the rug at Harry's feet, stiff as a board and unable to move at all.

"Well done, Ha —" But the Death Eater Hermione had just struck dumb made a sudden slashing movement with his wand from which flew a streak of what looked like purple flame. It passed right across Hermione's chest; she gave a tiny "oh!" as though of surprise and then crumpled onto the floor where she lay motionless.

"HERMIONE!" Harry fell to his knees beside her, Ellen soon crouching next to him. Neville crawled rapidly toward her from under the desk, his wand held up in front of him.

The Death Eater kicked out hard at Neville's head as he emerged — his foot broke Neville's wand in two and connected with his face — Neville gave a howl of pain and recoiled, clutching his mouth and nose. Ellen scowed when she recognized Dolohov, the murderous bastard that he was.

Dolohov smirked evilly at the three, the message to hand over the prophecy clearly written on his face.

"You'll just kill us the second we hand it over." She spit out at him, training her wand firmly at the man's chest.

"Whaddever you do, Harry," said Neville fiercely from under the desk, lowering his hands to show a clearly broken nose and blood pouring down his mouth and chin, "don'd gib it to him!"

Then there was a crash outside the door, and Dolohov looked over his shoulder — the Death Eater that Ellen had blinded back in the other room was crashing around, doing his best to get through the door..

Harry seized his chance: " _PETRIFICUS_ _TOTALUS_!" The spell hit Dolohov before he could block it, and he toppled forward across his comrade, both of them rigid as boards and unable to move an inch.

"Hermione," Harry said at once. "Hermione, wake up..."

"Whaddid he do to her?" said Neville, crawling out from under the desk again to kneel at her other side, blood streaming from his rapidly swelling nose.

Ellen gripped Hermione's wrist, relief filling her as she felt a faint pulse. "She's still alive. But I'm not sure for how much longer."

"We're not far from the exit," Harry whispered. "We're right next to that circular room…Neville, if we can just get you across it and find the right door before any more Death Eaters come, I'll bet you can get Hermione up the corridor and into the lift...Then you could find someone...Raise the alarm..."

"And whad are you going do do?" said Neville, mopping his bleeding nose with his sleeve and frowning at Harry.

"I've got to find the others," said Harry.

"Well, I'b going do find dem wid you," said Neville firmly.

"But Hermione —"

"We'll dake her wid us," said Neville firmly. "I'll carry her — you're bod bedder at fighding dem dan I ab —" He stood up and seized one of Hermione's arms, glared at Harry, who hesitated, then grabbed the other and helped hoist Hermione's limp form over Neville's shoulders.

"Wait," said Harry, snatching up Hermione's wand from the floor and shoving it into Neville's hand, "you'd better take this..."

They crept out of the office and back toward the door into the black hallway, which now seemed completely deserted. They walked a few steps forward, Neville tottering slightly due to Hermione's weight. The door of the Time Room swung shut behind them, and the walls began to rotate once more. With sinking hearts they saw that Hermione's fiery crosses had faded from the doors.

"So which way d'you reck — ?" But before they could make a decision as to which way to try, a door to their right sprang open and three people fell out of it. "Ron!" croaked Harry, dashing toward them. "Ginny — are you all — ?"

"What happened to you?" Ellen tried to get Ron to stand. "How badly are you hurt?

But Ginny shook her head and slid down the wall into a sitting position, panting and holding her ankle. "I think her ankle's broken, I heard something crack," whispered Luna, who was bending over her and who alone seemed to be unhurt. "Four of them chased us into a dark room full of planets, it was a very odd place, some of the time we were just floating in the dark —"

"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" said Ron, still giggling feebly. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus — ha ha ha —"

A bubble of blood grew at the corner of Ron's mouth and burst. "Anyway, one of them grabbed Ginny's foot, I used the Reductor Curse and blew up Pluto in his face, but..." Luna gestured hopelessly at Ginny, who was breathing in a very shallow way, her eyes still closed.

"And what about Ron?" said Harry fearfully, as Ron continued to giggle, still hanging off the front of Harry's robes.

"I don't know what they hit him with," said Luna sadly, "but he's gone a bit funny, I could hardly get him along at all..."

"Harry," said Ron, pulling Harry's ear down to his mouth and still giggling weakly, "you know who this girl is, Harry? She's Loony...Loony Lovegood...ha ha ha..."

"We've got to get out of here," said Harry firmly. "Luna, can you help Ginny?"

"Yes," said Luna, sticking her wand behind her ear for safekeeping, putting an arm around Ginny's waist and pulling her up.

"It's only my ankle, I can do it myself!" said Ginny impatiently, but next moment she had collapsed sideways and grabbed Luna for support. Harry pulled Ron's arm over his shoulder. He heaved Ron toward a door; they were within a few feet of it when another door across the hall burst open and three Death Eaters sped into the hall, led by Bellatrix Lestrange.

"There they are!" she shrieked. Stunning Spells shot across the room: Harry smashed his way through the door ahead, flung Ron unceremoniously from him, and ducked back to help Neville in with Hermione.

They ran for it as Bellatrix Lestrange sprinted right at them. Harry held the prophecy high over his head and took off sprinting in another direction, Ellen trailing closely behind. They ran a few feet into the new room and felt the floor vanish — They were falling down the stairs, bouncing along until they landed with a crash in the sunken pit where the stone archway stood on its dais.

The whole room was ringing with the Death Eaters' laughter. Ellen carefully helped Harry stand on shaking legs, sighing in relief when the prophecy sat unbroken in his left hand. They climbed onto the dais quickly, standing back to back with wands drawn.

"Potter, your race is run," drawled Lucius Malfoy, pulling off his mask. "Now hand me the prophecy like a good boy..."

"Let — let the others go, and I'll give it to you!" said Harry desperately. A few of the Death Eaters laughed.

"You are not in a position to bargain, Potter," said Lucius Malfoy, his pale face flushed with pleasure. "You see, there are ten of us and only two of you...or hasn't Dumbledore ever taught you how to count?"

"He's dot alone!" shouted a voice from above them. "He's still god be!"

Neville was scrambling down the stone benches toward them, Hermione's wand held fast in his trembling hand. "Neville — no — go back to Ron —"

" _STUBEFY_!" Neville shouted again, pointing his wand at each Death Eater in turn, " _STUBEFY_! _STUBE_ —" One of the largest Death Eaters seized Neville from behind, pinioning his arms to his sides. He struggled and kicked; several of the Death Eaters laughed.

"It's Longbottom, isn't it?" sneered Lucius Malfoy. "Well, your grandmother is used to losing family members to our cause...Your death will not come as a great shock..."

"Longbottom?" repeated Bellatrix, and a truly evil smile lit her gaunt face. "Why, I have had the pleasure of meeting your parents, boy..."

"I DOE YOU HAB!" roared Neville, and he fought so hard against his captor's encircling grip that the Death Eater shouted, "Someone Stun him!"

"No, no, no," said Bellatrix. She looked transported, alive with excitement as she glanced at Harry, then back at Neville. "No, let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents...Unless Potter wants to give us the prophecy —"

"DON'D GIB ID DO DEM!" roared Neville, who seemed beside himself, kicking and writhing as Bellatrix drew nearer to him and his captor, her wand raised. "DON'D GIB ID DO DEM, Harry!"

Bellatrix raised her wand. " _Crucio_!"

Neville screamed, his legs drawn up to his chest so that the Death Eater holding him was momentarily holding him off the ground. The Death Eater dropped him and he fell to the floor, twitching and screaming in agony.

"That was just a taster!" said Bellatrix, raising her wand so that Neville's screams stopped and he lay sobbing at her feet. She turned and gazed up at Harry. "Now, Potter, either give us the prophecy, or watch your little friend die the hard way!"

Harry reached out to hand them the prophecy, his hand shaking severely. Then, high above them, two more doors burst open and eight more people sprinted into the room: Sirius, Remus, Sheril, Jasdevit, Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley.

Malfoy turned and raised his wand, but Tonks had already sent a Stunning Spell right at him. The Death Eaters were completely distracted by the appearance of the members of the Order, who were now raining spells down upon them as they jumped from step to step toward the sunken floor.

She grinned despite herself when she saw Rhode and Tyki burst into the room moments later. She ran to them, throwing spells at every Death Eater that tried to get in her way. "Glad you finally made it." Ellen panted, sending a stunner at the wizard behind them.

"And miss all the fun?" Rhode giggled. "Now, let the show begin~"

Rhode raced off into the skirmish with her wand drawn and candles floating in the air above them. She could faintly hear the girl's cackling when someone screamed out in pain.

She and Tyki stood back to back just as she had with Harry moments before. Time blurred around them as they dueled the Death Eaters in front of them. Ellen could almost see the shock in their eyes when she threw dark curse after dark curse at them, consequences of her actions be damned.

Ellen looked over, her eyes widening in horror. "Paddy.."

Sirius was facing off against Dolohov next to them. She watched in dim shock as Dolohov drew back his wand to make the same slashing movement he had used on Harry and Hermione.

A blur passed by her and all she saw was a hand sticking out of Dolohov's chest. Tyki smirked and pulled his arm out quickly, enjoying the scream that ripped through the Death Eater before he was silenced forever.

"Nice one!" shouted Sirius, forcing Harry's head down as a pair of Stunning Spells flew toward them. "Harry, I want you to get out of —"

A jet of green light had narrowly missed Sirius; across the room Ellen saw Tonks fall from halfway up the stone steps, her limp form toppling from stone seat to stone seat, and Bellatrix, triumphant, running back toward the fray.

"Harry, take the prophecy, grab Neville, and run!" Sirius yelled, dashing to meet Bellatrix. Ellen and Tyki rejoined the fray, unashamedly using their gifts as Noahs when needed. Wands shattered the moment Ellen touched them and more than one Death Eater had their internal organs shredded by Tyki's hand.

"DUBBLEDORE!" Ellen heard Neville shout, turning around quickly. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line — Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival.

Ellen saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: He was laughing at her. "Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest. The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward towards the veil. Ellen watched him move his hand oddly and mouth something to himself, his face mingled fear and surprise as he disappeared before the ancient doorway, the veil fluttering for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.

Then all was silent.

* * *

 ** _ÎNGHEŢA =_ FREEZE in Romanian.**

 **I figured since it was a language that came from Latin then it would make sense that there are spells in all of the Romance languages.**

 **Ellen opening the Ark with all the gold figures is like what's coming up from the piano during this part! https / /** **www. you tube watch? v= 59OO1rHuuNc**

 **The english translation of the Fourteenth's song https / / www. you tube watch? v= ZJrn3DES43U &list = PLGQnwxHhoq_ WtIO4RQS9 xTN0XsU22x9M p&index= 20**


	17. Chapter 17

Something strange clicked within her but she could not bring herself to care. Someone was screaming in her ear, and it only took a moment to realize that it was her. Sirius was gone. He was dead.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, "SIRIUS!"

Remus rushed up to hold Harry back while Ellen turned to face Bellatrix. "You. Killed. Him." She shrieked in anger. "YOU KILLED HIM!"

The world erupted in a violent purple.

She could feel the power rushing through her, feel the way her skin drained to the dead grey of a Noah, but Ellen didn't care. " _Destroy her…Crush her into dust…Never forgive, Allen_."

"You killed my brother." Ellen said quietly, calmly, under her breath. She looked up at Bellatrix Lestrange with mad eyes then everything went black.

They all watched in horror as tentacles of dark matter wrapped around Ellen, forming an odd set of armor around her. Her voice sounded as if it was layered when she cackled insanely. Her hair was once again white as it floated around her head in a mockery of a halo.

" _Hee, hee_." Ellen giggled again. " _I'm going to kill you, Bel-la-trix._ "

She launched herself at the witch, dark matter crackling at her fists. The two danced around the room as Bellatrix continued to apparate herself to different places, laughing just as madly as the Noah. Others were forced to dodge as Ellen threw blasts of dark matter at the witch, disintegrating whatever they landed on.

Rhode clicked her tongue next to where Remus was holding Harry. "What's wrong with her?" Remus asked stiffly, clutching Harry tight.

"She lost herself in the Noah." Rhode shook her head. "That's Neah you're seeing, not Allen."

"Someone has to stop her!" He said in outrage. "She's going to kill someone!"

The tiny Noah raised her brow and laughed lightly, obviously not taking the situation seriously. "Neah won't listen to any of us. Besides, it's about time that Allen stopped fighting the memory."

Ellen screamed in rage as she missed Bellatrix again, finally catching Tyki's attention. He looked up at Ellen in horror before quickly shoving his hand in the Death Eater's chest and crushing their heart. He leapt up to stand in the air above Ellen before grabbing her arms from behind, twisting her to face him. Kingsley quickly took over her duel with Bellatrix while he tried to hold his thrashing wife down.

"Shh," Tyki shook her slightly. "Allen, I know you're in there. You have to wake up."

The Noah snarled in his face. " _She's not coming back, Joyd. Being awake just hurts poor little Allen too much right now._ "

"Allen, please." He begged. "We need you. The Clan needs you, Harry needs you, I need you. Come back to me."

"Tyki..?" She said quietly, her voice sounding normal once more.

He kissed her forehead quickly. "Yes, _menina_ , I'm here. Come back my love, you can do it."

His hands started burning as dark matter erupted from Ellen once more, but he held steadfast. The armor all over her began to crumble away into dust. She cried out once more in that distorted voice before collapsing. The last thing she heard was Tyki calling her name and then there was no more.

* * *

 _In a brief statement Friday night, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He-Who-MustNot-Be Named has returned to this country and is active once more._

 _"It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord — well, you know who I mean — is alive and among us again," said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters. "It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe that the dementors are currently taking direction from Lord — Thingy."_

 _"We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defense that will be delivered free to all Wizarding homes within the coming month." The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the Wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was "no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumors that You-Know-Who is operating amongst us once more."_

 _Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that HeWho-Must-Not-Be-Named and a select band of followers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening. Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, was unavailable for comment last night. He has insisted for a year that You-Know-Who was not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile the Boy Who Lived —_

"There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," said Hermione, looking over the top of the paper at him.

They were in the hospital wing. Harry was sitting on the end of Ron's bed and they were both listening to Hermione read the front page of the Sunday Prophet.

Ginny, whose ankle had been mended in a trice by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Hermione's bed; Neville, whose nose had likewise been returned to its normal size and shape, was in a chair between the two beds; and Luna, who had dropped in to visit clutching the latest edition of The Quibbler, was reading the magazine upside down and apparently not taking in a word Hermione was saying. Ellen was in her own hospital bed, her face looking haunted as she listened to them.

"He's 'the Boy Who Lived' again now, though, isn't he?" said Ron darkly. "Not such a show-off maniac anymore, eh?"

He helped himself to a handful of Chocolate Frogs from the immense pile on his bedside cabinet, threw a few to Harry, Ginny, and Neville, and ripped off the wrapper of his own with his teeth. There were still deep welts on his forearms where the brain's tentacles had wrapped around him. According to Madam Pomfrey, thoughts could leave deeper scarring than almost anything else, though since she had started applying copious amounts of Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction, there seemed to be some improvement.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry," said Hermione, now scanning down the article. " 'A lone voice of truth...perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story...forced to bear ridicule and slander...' Hmmm," said Hermione, frowning, "I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering, though..."

She winced slightly and put a hand to her ribs. The curse Dolohov had used on her, though less effective than it would have been had he been able to say the incantation aloud, had nevertheless caused, in Madam Pomfrey's words, "quite enough damage to be going on with."

Hermione was having to take ten different types of potion every day and although she was improving greatly, was already bored with the hospital wing. " 'You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter, page nine...'

"Well," said Hermione, folding up the newspaper and throwing it aside, "it's certainly given them lots to write about. And that interview with Harry isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago..."

"Daddy sold it to them," said Luna vaguely, turning a page of The Quibbler. "He got a very good price for it too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer and see if we can catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Hermione seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, then said, "That sounds lovely." Ginny caught Harry's eye and looked away quickly, grinning.

"So anyway," said Hermione, sitting up a little straighter and wincing again, "what's going on in school?"

"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp," said Ginny. "He did it in about three seconds. But he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off —"

"Why?" said Hermione, looking startled.

"Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic," said Ginny, shrugging.

"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George," said Ron through a mouthful of chocolate. "They sent me all these, you know," he told Harry, pointing at the small mountain of Frogs beside him. "Must be doing all right out of that joke shop, eh?"

Hermione looked rather disapproving and asked, "So has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back?"

"Yes," said Neville, "everything's settled right back down again."

"I s'pose Filch is happy, is he?" asked Ron, propping a Chocolate Frog card featuring Dumbledore against his water jug.

"Not at all," said Ginny. "He's really, really miserable, actually..." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts..."

All seven of them looked around. Professor Umbridge was lying in a bed opposite them, gazing up at the ceiling. Dumbledore had strode alone into the forest to rescue her from the centaurs. How he had done it — how he had emerged from the trees supporting Professor Umbridge without so much as a scratch on him — nobody knew, and Umbridge was certainly not telling. Since she had returned to the castle she had not, as far as any of them knew, uttered a single word.

Since her return she had been plagued by what seemed to be horrible nightmares, but Ellen knew the truth. Rhode had been by the woman's bedside every night, filling her dreams with horrors beyond wildest imaginations. Finally they were able to get the revenge that they deserved.

"Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock," whispered Hermione.

"Sulking, more like," said Ginny

"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this," said Ron, and with his tongue he made soft clip-clopping noises. Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking wildly around. "

Anything wrong, Professor?" called Madam Pomfrey, poking her head around her office door.

"No...no..." said Umbridge, sinking back into her pillows, "no, I must have been dreaming..."

Hermione and Ginny muffled their laughter in the bedclothes. "Speaking of centaurs," said Hermione, when she had recovered a little, "who's Divination teacher now? Is Firenze staying?"

"He's got to," said Harry, "the other centaurs won't take him back, will they?"

"It looks like he and Trelawney are both going to teach," said Ginny.

"Bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good," said Ron, now munching on his fourteenth Frog. "Mind you, the whole subjects useless if you ask me, Firenze isn't a lot better..."

"How can you say that?" Hermione demanded. "After we've just found out that there are real prophecies?"

"It is a pity it broke," said Hermione quietly, shaking her head.

"Yeah, it is," said Ron. "Still, at least You-Know-Who never found out what was in it either — where are you going?" he added, looking both surprised and disappointed as Harry stood up.

"Er — Hagrid's," said Harry. "You know, he just got back and I promised I'd go down and see him and tell him how you three are..."

"Oh all right then," said Ron grumpily, looking out of the dormitory window at the patch of bright blue sky beyond. "Wish we could come..."

"Say hello to him for us!" called Hermione, as Harry proceeded down the ward. "And ask him what's happening about...about his little friend!"

Ellen sat there quietly, gently rubbing her white hair between her fingers. "I'm sorry." She all but whispered, catching their attention. "I should have protected you better. I'm so sorry."

Ginny hobbled over to her bed and sank into it, wrapping her arms around the tiny girl. "You did the best you could, Ellen."

"It wasn't enough." She mumbled, pulling away from Ginny. "It just wasn't enough."

* * *

It was late that night when Albus finally made his way into the hospital wing to visit Ellen. The room was filled with the sound of snoring and Umbridge's whimpers, yet she did not register a single bit of it. All Ellen could do was stare up at her friend with disappointment as he sat down on the end of her bed.

"Why didn't you tell me there was a prophecy?" She finally whispered, glaring at Albus. "All these years I've been blaming myself for not seeing that they would be targeted, why did you keep this from me?"

"I thought they would be safe." Albus admitted quietly staring down at his wrinkled hands.

She shook her head. "That doesn't explain why you lied to me Albus. Is that why you wouldn't let me raise him? For the sake of some prophecy?"

"It was for the greater good."

"Bullshit!" Ellen swore at him. "You sound like Gellert when you say that. You let James and Lily's son grow up unloved and abused, just so you could lead him like a lamb to slaughter. Is he going to die, Albus? Is that what your brilliant plan is?"

Her friend shook his head. "Harry must be the one to kill Voldemort."

She physically recoiled at that, barely able to stand being in the same room as Albus in that moment. To learn that her friend, her oldest, closest friend had kept something so vital from her was breaking her heart. Ellen looked up at him with glowing yellow eyes full of rage. "How many more have to die before that? Does that even matter to you?"

"Harry has the power the Dark Lord knows not." He argued with her. "No one else can stop him.

"And you didn't think that you should maybe have prepared him? He's going to walk into a war completely unable to protect himself!" He went to reply to he when she held up a hand, cutting him off. "I don't want to hear any more of your excuses Albus. I thought you were better than this, I thought that you would have learned that you can trust me but here you are trying to solve everything by yourself again. You are my friend and I love you dearly, but you need to leave before I do something that I regret."

"Ellen.." Albus protested.

A snarl formed on her face and her arm erupted with dark matter against her will. She snatched her wand off the table next to her and pointed it at him, shaking in anger as she did so. "I want you to leave Albus Dumbledore. Your secrets have cost me the lives of my friends and I will not allow you to take anyone else from me. Leave now or so help me god, I will kill you."

He rose with a deep sigh and looked down at her as though he was disappointed. Before she could fire off a spell in his direction he was departing, his brilliant robes dragging behind him. For a moment she though she heard the man sniffle but he was gone before she could truly register it. All that mattered to her in that moment was her anger. Albus's need to keep secrets had ruined so many lives and she could no longer make excuses for him.

Ellen dropped her wand onto the bed and set her face in her hands, sobbing over the loss of her dearest friend. It would not matter if they were able to repair their friendship. There were too many secrets out in the open, the blissful ignorance they had lived in ripped away to reveal the harsh reality of life.

Everything would be different.

* * *

The journey home on the Hogwarts Express next day was uneventful. They all gathered in a compartment together and made themselves comfortable while Ron went off to find Harry. Hermione was reading the Daily Prophet again, Ginny was doing a quiz in The Quibbler, and Neville was stroking his Mimbulus mimbletonia, which had grown a great deal over the year and now made odd crooning noises when touched.

Ellen spent most of the journey with Rhode in her lap, clinging tight to the other Noah like she was her lifeline. No one could hear the words that Rhode murmured to her, stroking her soft white hair. Her mood seemed to lift as the train continued on and by the time it began to slow, Ellen was smiling and giggling softly to Rhode.

When it finally puffed to a standstill she helped Harry lift his owl's cage down. When the ticket inspector signaled to him, Ron, Ellen, and Hermione that it was safe to walk through the magical barrier between platforms nine and ten Harry found a surprise awaiting him on the other side: a group of people standing there to greet him whom he had not expected at all.

There was Mad-Eye Moody, looking quite as sinister with his bowler hat pulled low over his magical eye as he would have done without it, his gnarled hands clutching a long staff, his body wrapped in a voluminous traveling cloak. Tonks stood just behind him, her bright bubble-gum-pink hair gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the dirty glass station ceiling, wearing heavily patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt bearing the legend the weird sisters.

Next to Tonks was Lupin, his face pale, his hair graying, a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers. Tyki was standing towards the back, his hands tucked firmly in his pockets. At the front of the group stood Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, dressed in their Muggle best, and Fred and George, who were both wearing brand-new jackets in some lurid green, scaly material.

"Ron, Ginny!" called Mrs. Weasley, hurrying forward and hugging her children tightly. "Oh, and Harry dear — how are you?"

"Fine," lied Harry, as she pulled him into a tight embrace.

"What are they supposed to be?" Ron asked, pointing at the twins' jackets.

"Finest dragon skin, little bro," said Fred, giving his zip a little tweak. "Business is booming and we thought we'd treat ourselves."

"Hello, Harry," said Remus, as Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry and turned to greet Hermione. "Hi," said Harry. "I didn't expect...what are you all doing here?"

"Well," said Lupin with a slight smile, "we thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."

"I dunno if that's a good idea," said Harry at once. However, Ellen grinned widely and nudged Rhode to catch her attention.

"Oh, I think it is," growled Moody, who had limped a little closer. "That'll be them, will it, Potter?" He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder; his magical eye was evidently peering through the back of his head and his bowler hat. They leaned an inch or so to the left to see where Mad-Eye was pointing and there, sure enough, were the three Dursleys, who looked positively appalled to see Harry's reception committee.

"Ah, Harry!" said Mr. Weasley, turning from Hermione's parents, whom he had been greeting enthusiastically, and who were taking it in turns to hug Hermione. "Well — shall we do it, then?"

"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur," said Moody. He and Mr. Weasley took the lead across the station toward the place where the Dursleys stood, apparently rooted to the floor. Hermione disengaged herself gently from her mother to join the group.

"Good afternoon," said Mr. Weasley pleasantly to Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt right in front of him. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley."

As Mr. Weasley had singlehandedly demolished most of the Dursleys' living room two years previously, Harry would have been very surprised if Uncle Vernon had forgotten him. Sure enough, Uncle Vernon turned a deeper shade of puce and glared at Mr. Weasley, but chose not to say anything, partly, perhaps, because the Dursleys were outnumbered two to one. Aunt Petunia looked both frightened and embarrassed. She kept glancing around, as though terrified somebody she knew would see her in such company. Dudley, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to look small and insignificant, a feat at which he was failing extravagantly.

"We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry," said Mr. Weasley, still smiling.

"Yeah," growled Moody. "About how he's treated when he's at your place."

Uncle Vernon's mustache seemed to bristle with indignation. Possibly because the bowler hat gave him the entirely mistaken impression that he was dealing with a kindred spirit, he addressed himself to Moody. "I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house —"

"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley," growled Moody.

"Anyway, that's not the point," interjected Tonks, whose pink hair seemed to offend Aunt Petunia more than all the rest put together, for she closed her eyes rather than look at her. "The point is, if we find out you've been horrible to Harry —"

"— and make no mistake, we'll hear about it," added Lupin pleasantly.

"Yes," said Mr. Weasley, "even if you won't let Harry use the fellytone —"

"Telephone," whispered Hermione.

"Yeah, if we get any hint that Potter's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to," said Moody. Uncle Vernon swelled ominously. His sense of outrage seemed to outweigh even his fear of this bunch of oddballs. "Are you threatening me, sir?" he said, so loudly that passersby actually turned to stare. "

Yes, I am," said Mad-Eye, who seemed rather pleased that Uncle Vernon had grasped this fact so quickly.

"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?" barked Uncle Vernon.

"Well..." said Moody, pushing back his bowler hat to reveal his sinisterly revolving magical eye. Uncle Vernon leapt backward in horror and collided painfully with a luggage trolley. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Dursley."

He turned from Uncle Vernon to Harry. "So, Potter...give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along..."

Aunt Petunia whimpered piteously. It could not have been plainer that she was thinking of what the neighbors would say if they caught sight of these people marching up the garden path.

" 'Bye, then, Potter," said Moody, grasping Harry's shoulder for a moment with a gnarled hand.

"Take care, Harry," said Lupin quietly. "Keep in touch."

"Harry, we'll have you away from there as soon as we can," Mrs. Weasley whispered, hugging him again.

"You'll hear from us," Ellen hugged him. "I promise."

"We'll see you soon, mate," said Ron anxiously, shaking Harry's hand.

"Really soon, Harry," said Hermione earnestly. "We promise."

Harry nodded, smiled, raised a hand in farewell, turned around, and led the way out of the station toward the sunlit street, with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley hurrying along in his wake.

The other members of the Order scattered about, leaving the Noah standing alone in the station. Ellen shook her head and looked up at Tyki. He intertwined their hands and smiled down at her.

Rhode rolled her eyes and pulled out the blood pop she had been hoarding the entire train ride. "So," She giggled. "How long do you think it'll take for them to notice that he's gone."

" 'Dung has first watch, so we'll have at least twelve hours before they get suspicious." Ellen said plainly. "That'll be plenty of time to orchestrate a few 'sightings' all around the world."

Tyki placed his hand on Rhode's shoulder firmly. "One kidnapped Boy-Who-Lived, coming up."

A loud crack sounded through the station but when the Muggles looked, they only saw a blank space where the three had been standing moments before.

* * *

 **AND THAT IS THE END OF _A GLINT OF WHITE!_**

 **Thank you all so much for coming on this journey with me. This fanfic has been my child for months and I'm so grateful that there are those who enjoyed reading it just as much as I loved writing it. Now onto the good news.**

 **The sequel to _A Glint of White_ will be called _A Vision in Grey_ and it will hopefully be finished and published by August 2017! Get excited!**


	18. Sequel Announcement!

Hello all! After much delay, I'm happy to announce that the first chapter of A Vision in Grey is out! I want to thank all of you so much for supporting this and reading my questionable writing.

I hope you enjoyed A Glint of White and I hope that you enjoy A Vision in Grey even more!

Thank you 3


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